New Olympus
by Odyssey34
Summary: A young girl looses her family, but gains a new home. Unfortunately for her, her new home is on the island of New Olympus! An ongoing saga
1. Chapter 1

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

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** Somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea: **

"So, Cassy?" the pilot asked cheerfully. "How are you enjoying the ride?"

Twelve-year-old Cassandra Williams looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. "It's very nice," she replied quietly. In truth, she was having a very hard time flying; she could never get used to being miles above the ground. It had always made her nervous.

The pilot laughed and went back to concentrating on his flying. 'Thank God,' she thought.

She had no idea why they were out flying in the middle of nowhere. Her parents loved to fly, and jumped at the opportunity whenever they could, which was why they were here now, but she had no idea why they continuously brought her along on all their flights. She hated flying.

She drew her attention back to her book and tried to read, to keep her mind off the flying.

"Hello," the pilot suddenly said, "What's this then?"

Cassy looked up again and watched as the pilot began fumbling around with his controls.

"What is it?" her mother asked.

"Dunno Ma'am. It seems to be some sort of fog down on the sea, but I can't get a clear reading of it."

He continued to fumble away at his controls until there was a loud bang coming from their right hand side.

Cassy dropped her book in surprise and stared at the black smoke coming from one of the plane's wings.

"Good God!" her father cried out. "What's happening?"

"Damn it! One of the engines has blown. I'm gonna have to make an emergency landing. Everyone, hold onto your seats!"

Cassy gripped the edge of her seat in fear and held her breath. She felt the nose of the plane dip forward, and the plane begin to plummet to the sea below. She fought back a scream as the plane fell faster and faster, the whooshing of the air around the plane growing louder as it neared its collision with the ocean, and then… there was nothing.

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**Some Time Later: **

Cassy woke up to a splitting headache, and raised her hand to her head. She was soaking wet, and when she pulled her hand back; it was covered in blood.

She moaned, as she sat up and looked around. She was on a beach somewhere, but didn't recognise it. She slowly got up to her feet, but immediately fell back down again, as a wave of dizziness and nausea overcame her.

She took another look round, but saw no sign of her parents or the pilot. 'Maybe they got washed up somewhere else down the beach,' she thought.

Then she heard a small ringing sound coming from up above. She looked up and saw three huge crafts, floating down towards her. She didn't have the strength to get up and shout for help, so she just stayed where she was and watched them curiously as they descended upon her.

As they neared the ground, she finally got a look at her would-be saviours and got the biggest surprise of her life. One of them was a large bull, wearing some sort of helmet, and who appeared to be part man. Another one looked like an ordinary man except his hair was made up of fire and his eyes shone bright red, and the look he gave her was one of complete and total surprise. The last one, she thought was an ordinary man until she got a better look at him, and saw that he had the body of a horse.

Cassy stared at them in shock while they did the same to her.

"Can it be?" the horseman said. "It looks like…?"

The fireman pulled up a little closer to get a better look at her, and answered the horseman's question for him. "A human!"

The bull man shook his head. "Not again," he muttered.

Cassy continued to stare at them, but eventually the dizziness proved too much for her and she passed out.

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**A Few Hours Later; Somewhere: **

She felt something cool and damp being pressed against her forehead. She tried to flick it away, but when she tried to move her arms, she felt something holding them down.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. After a while, her version came back into focus… and she found a huge red lion with a man's face, and dozens of fangs pointing out of his mouth, staring right back at her.

Cassy just stared at him, her mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish. Then she finally found her breath, and started screaming.

The lion man backed off with a confused expression on his face, and then started to walk back toward her.

Cassy twisted and squirmed to get off the bed she was on, but found she was bound by some kind of force field, just like the ones in Star Trek.

The lion man walked up to her cautiously, and raised his right front-paw, laying it down on her arm.

"It's all right, little one," he said.

'Yikes! He can talk,' she thought frantically.

The creature continued, "It's all right. See? I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Mantius, but everyone calls me Manty. What's your name?"

Cassy looked up at him.

For someone whom had more than one set of teeth; he had a surprisingly sweet and gentle smile.

"M-my… my name's Cassy," she stuttered out. Despite his sweet smile, she was still scared out of her mind.

Manty, as he called himself, noticed this and a look of sorrow came over him. "Awww… it's all right, kid. I don't bite."

Somehow, that didn't bring her much comfort.

"I want my mom," she sobbed.

Manty looked down at her, and she noticed a tear starting to form in his eye.

"Err… look, kid. If I remove the force fields, do you promise you won't scream and try to escape?"

She nodded.

"Okay," he said, and placed his paw over a control panel and tapped a few buttons. All at once, the force field surrounding her arms and legs were gone, and she could move freely again.

Cassy sat up, expecting to feel dizzy again, but she was fine. She touched her head, expecting to feel a bandage or something, but there was nothing. Her wounds appeared to be completely healed.

Manty coughed and looked rather uncomfortable. "Okay, kid. Look, this isn't easy, but you're gonna have to hear this from someone, so it might as well be me." He took a deep breath. "After we found you, we searched around till we found your plane, we found your parents and the pilot with it."

Cassy smiled, expecting him to tell her that her parents would be coming for her shortly.

Manty, however, did not. "Unfortunately, kid, we were too late. By the time we got there, your folks and the pilot had gone down with the plane." He paused and then said. "I'm sorry."

Cassy just looked at him, her eyes growing wider by the second. 'No,' she thought. "It can't be true. I'm only twelve years old, I can't lose my parents, they have to be alive…"

She didn't realise that she said those words out loud until she felt Manty reach out and hug her with his right front-leg, and rocked her back and forth.

"It's all right, kid," he said. "Everything's gonna be okay now, you'll see."

A loud chirping sound suddenly came from behind them, and a door panel opened, revealing a large and stiff-looking bull-man standing in the doorway, together with the man with the head of flames.

The bull-man snorted and asked the Manticore, "Is the Human well?"

Manty released Cassy and looked at him, answering. "Yes, Taurus. She responded well to the treatment, though she may still need a little time to rest."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Taurus said.

Manty looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

The man with the head of flames suddenly interrupted. "Because Boreas has decreed that the Human is to be taken to the Senate house to be put on trial," he glared at the young Human, his fiery eyes burning with hostility at her.

Cassy shivered with fear, pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged herself.

The bull man, who Manty had called Taurus, walked up to her and looked down at her from his great height.

Cassy did her best not to panic, but what can you do when in less than a few hours you find out that your parents are dead, and you're a prisoner in a place where there are talking bulls, lions, horses, and man with fire for hair?

Cassy screamed, jumped off the bed and ran through the door, which Taurus and the flame man had come through.

Taurus and Manty yelled at her. "HEY!"

She didn't listen however. She kept running and running, as fast as she could, her thoughts on only one thing, 'Gotta get out!'

"Shit!" Helios swore under his breath and took out his communicator. "Chiron? This is Helios! The human has escaped. Send a squadron of soldiers to look for her at… "

Taurus snatched the communicator away from Helios. "Belay that order, Chiron. We'll find her ourselves."

Taurus handed the device back to Helios and glared at him "She's only a child, Helios, not some assassin or a Human spy. She's just a kid, a scared kid who is alone in a strange city with beings she's never seen before. We can catch her ourselves."

With that, he turned and ran out the door, with Helios and Manty right behind him.

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'Gotta get out,' Cassy thought frantically. 'There's got to be a way out of here!'

She ran down the corridor until she came to an elevator, and banged on its doors until it opened, revealing the horseman that she had encountered earlier.

She gulped, as he leaned over and made to grab her. "Okay, Human, come here!"

She jumped back and started to run, but ran right smack into Taurus's stomach instead.

Taurus wrapped his arms around her and held her, as she struggled to get away. She screamed and dug her nails into his thick pelt, and kicked his shin, but Taurus's hide was too thick to penetrate, and if he minded his shin getting kicked, then he didn't show it.

Eventually she stopped kicking and screaming, but then started crying as Taurus held onto her.

Taurus looked to his associates for help, as he wasn't good at dealing with other people in their times of grief, and he certainly wasn't good with children.

Just then, Manty ran up to them and noticed Cassy's tears and heart wrenching sobs.

She took one look at him and broke free of Taurus's arms, throwing her arms around Manty's neck and crying her eyes out.

Manty did his best to comfort her. "It's all right, little one. You're safe now. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

He said the last part with a cold, stern voice, as he looked across at Helios, Chiron, and Taurus.

Taurus just gave him a cold look of his own, then marched up to the Human and knelt down beside her. "Hello," he said.

Cassy looked up from Manty's chest, and whimpered at the huge bull staring right at her. "Please leave me alone," she begged.

Taurus's eyes were filled with pity. It was true he had no great love for humans, as after all, his ancestor the Minotaur had been locked in a labyrinth and starved by humans, and later killed by a human hero. When he had first heard that story, he had been disgusted and prayed that he would never meet a human. It seemed though that fate was against him and had brought this human child to his island. However, a child, like all children, was innocent.

Taurus tried to put on his most kind-looking face, and smile… but unfortunately; it didn't seem to go right with him, as he looked more like he had a cactus stuck up his backside.

"Child? Can you tell me if there was anyone else on your… _plane_, with you, besides your parents and the pilot?"

Cassy shook her head, and buried her face back in Manty's chest.

Manty continued to rock her back and forth. In truth, Taurus believed she should be left alone for now, but Boreas had already called the Senate together, so they had no choice but to bring her.

"Err? Child… "

"Cassy."

Taurus blinked at her in surprise. "What?"

She wiped her eyes and said, "My name is Cassy. Well, it's Cassandra actually, Cassandra Williams, but everyone just calls me Cassy."

Taurus smiled a little. "Okay, Cassy. Listen, I have to take you somewhere now to a place where there are a lot of my people waiting to see you. Our leader wishes to meet you and speak to you, okay?"

Cassy didn't look like she wanted to go anywhere, but a warm look from Manty gave her courage. "All right," she said. "I'll go."

Taurus heaved a sigh of relief because he wouldn't have to drag her there by the arm. Instead, he calmly took her hand and led the way to the elevator. He managed to win her trust, but… what about the Senate?

Taurus felt a small shiver of fear, for the child walking beside him, crawl up his spine.

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**The Senate: **

Cassy griped Taurus's hand tightly, as he walked her down the long dark corridor. She heard people shouting and an assortment of growls, snarls, and other sounds from behind the big door up ahead, and tried to put on a brave face.

Taurus looked down at her and had to smile at her bravery. Then his face took on a more serious look, as he pressed a button on his remote, opening the doors. The huge door quickly opened and the sounds of the people, or whatever they were, got louder.

He gently pushed Cassy onward, as she walked into the Senate.

The instant she walked in, she was immediately bombarded with shouts and insults. A pale man with what looked like a unicorn's horn sticking out of his head called her a monster.

'I'M a monster??' she thought unbelievably. 'Has this guy looked in the mirror recently?' She stared at the strange creatures surrounding her, and shivered in fear. Never had she seen so many unusual and terrifying creatures. She recognised some of them from old myths and legends that she had read about in school… a Manticore, a Centaur, a Harpy, and a million more things that she had never seen or heard of before in her life.

Then she looked forward and did a double take. There in front of her was without a doubt the biggest, most gigantic man she had ever seen. The man, or whatever he was, must have been about 20ft tall, with a long blue robe, and huge white wings hanging from his back. When she looked up, and up, and up into his eyes, she found out that they were perfectly plain blue eyes… plain being the operative word because he had no irises, pupils, or anything.

Behind him, there was a big man dressed in gold armour, but as she looked closer, she realised that he didn't have a face, just two red eyes that were watching her, totally emotionless.

The giant stared at her, whether it was out of curiosity or if he was planning to serve her up for dinner, she didn't know. All she knew was that since coming here she had been shouted at, and been given hard and hateful looks, apparently all just because she was a human.

Somehow, Cassy wasn't feeling quite safe.

The winged giant suddenly beckoned her to step forward. Taurus gave her another gentle push, and she walked cautiously toward the giant. Every instinct in her was telling her to scream and run away, yet she found that she couldn't help but look into his pale blue eyes. Somehow, looking into them helped her to forget all her fears.

Taurus stood behind her and spoke to the giant. "Boreas, this is the human whom we found down on the beach. She says her name is Cassandra Williams. She was washed up on shore when her aircraft crashed. There were no other survivors."

Boreas didn't bother to look at him. He just continued to stare at her with those big blue eyes of his. He then knelt down in front of her, probably so that he wouldn't seem as intimidating, but he was still about ten feet high.

"Are you well?"

Cassy just nodded at him, unable to say anything.

Boreas tilted his head to one side. "Do you have any other family besides your parents?"

At the mention of her parents, Cassy's eyes began to water, but she refused to cry, not in front of all these strange creatures.

Boreas noticed this, and moved a huge finger to gently wipe one of her eyes. "It's all right, child," he said. "You don't have to be afraid, you've got nothing to fear from us."

'Yeah, except perhaps an angry mob of human haters,' Manty thought to himself, as he watched and listened from the Senate's seats.

Cassy raised her head to look Boreas directly in the eye. One look from him was all it took, and she quickly forgot all her fears for now, and concentrated on answering any and all of his questions.

"No," she said. "Aside from a few relatives that I haven't seen in years. I have no other family."

Boreas actually sighed with relief at this. 'Perhaps,' he thought, 'she will consider living with us, instead of me having to condemn her to remain here permanently?'

He was soon to be disappointed though as Cassy said, "But I would like to go home as soon as possible, if that's all right."

Boreas sighed. This was NOT going to be easy. He was beginning to realise that he should have spoken with the girl before she came to the Senate, as he had no idea how she was going to take what he was about to say. "Err… Cassandra? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't let you go home. The temptation to reveal our secret would be too great... "

Cassy looked up at him for about a minute before what he said finally registered through. She was doomed to spend the rest of her life here on this island, with all these monsters that hated her, just because she was a human.

She started yelling, "NONONONONONO, I WON'T STAY, I WON'T!" She continued to scream as she twisted from Taurus's arm, trying to get away. Taurus tried to hold onto her, but Cassy landed him a good hard kick in the groin and managed to get away.

She slipped out of Taurus's grip and started running towards the doors, which she had come through, but Helios and Chiron were waiting for her. Helios, in the heat of the moment, forged a ball of fire in his right hand and launched it right at her. Cassy was fortunate and managed to duck in time, but the flames caught her hair and singed it.

Suddenly there was a loud roar from the seats up above. Cassy was too scared to look, but she heard a loud thud as something landed on the ground near her, and the sound of quick footsteps as they rushed over to her. Finally, she looked up and saw Manty looking down at her, his face filled with concern.

Forgetting about her singed hair, she jumped up to him and buried her face once more into his chest, crying. Manty didn't say anything as he just sat there on the ground, letting Cassy cry into his chest. That and his paw gently stroking her now ruined hair.

Taurus, having finally recovered from the blow that Cassy had landed on him, came running up to them, glaring at Helios, and together he and Manty roared at him. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

Helios backed up a few paces. Manty was a friendly fellow and a good Olympian, but he could be pretty mean when he wanted to be, and Taurus was definitely not one to be rifled with.

Helios stammered, as Manty continued to glare at him with those dark eyes of his. "I... I was only doing my duty. I thought she would try something, and she did assault Taurus."

Manty never lowered his gaze or his temper. "She's a child for Zeus' sake!"

"ENOUGH!" a voice boomed from behind them. Boreas had obviously seen enough.

They all turned to look at Boreas, except for Cassy who still had her head hidden in Manty's chest.

Boreas gave them all a cold hard look. "Helios, if you ever do anything like that again, then what the humans did to our ancestors will seem like nothing compared to what I will do to you. Understand?!"

Helios gulped and nodded.

Boreas stared at the human child, and at once his face softened. "Cassandra. I'm truly sorry, but I can't let you go home. If any of your fellow humans should ever find out about our island, then our people would be put at risk. I have no choice, but to have you remain here with us, permanently."

Cassy sobbed harder, but not because she was never going home again. Her parents were everything she had, and now they were gone and she was all alone. As far as she was concerned, she had no home. The tears were because she was doomed to spend the rest of her life on an island where there were no other humans, just monsters like Helios who hated and despised her.

Manty was still stroking her hair, and then gently pushed her away from him to look at her. He lifted a curtain of her singed hair and smiled. "Let's go and see what we can do about this then, shall we?"

Cassy sniffed back a few more tears that were threatening to spill, but nodded. They were just about to walk away when an angry voice came from behind them.

"BOREAS! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SUGGESTING OF LETTING THAT… THAT _HUMAN_ LIVE WITH US!"

Cassy turned back to see what she could only describe as some sort of green slug-lady. She was all green, with a snakelike tail instead of legs. Her hair also looked like it was made up of snakes, and when she looked at her, her eyes were glowing blood-red. She slithered across the floor towards them, glaring at her with those burning red eyes.

Boreas looked down at the little slug woman. "Echidna, what would you have me do? She is merely a child, and an orphan, too, which is partly our fault. Our force field is what caused her aircraft to crash. What should I do, kill her?"

The slug woman looked at Cassy, and just for a moment, Cassy swore she saw the ends of her mouth twist into a smile, almost as if to say 'I've heard worse ideas.'

Boreas didn't seem to notice and thus continued speaking to the rest of the Senate. "It would be wrong of us to turn away this child in her time of need. Imagine if it was your child, lost and alone with no family and trapped in a strange land… Would you want them to be treated in the same way that we're treating this girl here?"

There was a silence over the crowd as they thought about that, and some of them who had brought their children with them hugged them close.

"I agree with Boreas," a voice came from the shadows that sounded like an echo. It was the man in gold armour. "As we learned from our experience with Miss Maza, not all humans are evil. So how can we condemn a child? Besides, having a human live with us might start teaching our own young ones how to live with humans. I have observed the human race through their satellite signals, and their technology has progressed even further than before. The time for hiding will soon come to an end, so we must start learning on how to co-operate and co-exist with one another, otherwise what hope is there for our future?"

Boreas smiled at Talos's words, and then turned back to the slug woman he had called Echidna, who still wore the same expression she had on before, only darker.

"I have made my decision, Echidna," Boreas said, unfazed by her look. "The human can not mean us any harm, as she is only a child. Therefore it is my decision that she should remain permanently here, as our guest."

With that, Boreas turned to walk out of the Senate, but paused a bit to spare the young girl a glance. 'Poor girl,' he thought. 'It won't be easy for her trying to fit into our society, no mistake about that.' Boreas turned his back on her and walked out of the Senate, with Talos close behind him.

Cassy watched as Boreas left, but turned her head to look at Echidna who was still glaring at her, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked around and saw Taurus looking down at her sternly. "Follow the rules," he said, "and you won't have any trouble." He was about to leave when Manty spoke up. "Taurus, what's going to happen to the girl?"

Taurus turned back and regarded him. "I suppose the Senate will find her a home and a family to take her in. Why?"

Manty stared at him, then rushed forward to his side and whispered in his ear. "Taurus, how many Olympians do you think are going to want to look after a _Human_ child???"

Taurus paused. He had not thought of this. Considering how the girl had been shouted at during the trial, it was unlikely that she would be welcomed with open arms.

"Sir?" Manty spoke. "If it would please you? I would like to take the child in."

Taurus stared at his friend. "You, Manty? What experience do you have at raising children?"

Manty shrugged. "None at all I'm afraid, but I can't very well leave this child all alone in a place where her kind is despised and she is unwelcome, can I? I don't know if I'll make a good parent, but I'll certainly try, and I am an experienced and fully qualified doctor, so if she ever gets into a scrap then I won't be far away to treat her."

Taurus nodded. In truth, he wasn't all that surprised by Manty's request. He expected that the reason why his friend wanted to take the girl in, was because he had lost his mate last year. Since then he had spent his days doing his job as one of the cities finest doctors, and his nights alone by the fire. Still, he was a good doctor and a fine citizen, plus there was the fact that he was most likely correct about there not being that many Olympians who would want to adopt or even look at a human child.

Taurus sighed. "Very well, Manty. The child is your responsibility from now on." With that, he walked off.

Manty smiled and looked back to where he saw Cassy waiting for him, nervously fidgeting her blue dress. "How about we go and get that hair of yours seen to, and then go and get something to eat? Sound good?"

Cassy gave a small smile, nodded her head eagerly, and hurried to catch up with him.

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After a quick visit to the medical clinic, to make sure that she had no serious burns or other injuries, Manty took Cassy to a nearby hairdresser to get her hair tended to.

Unfortunately, the hairdresser, a large Centaur woman wasn't exactly happy to see them, or more precisely her, but a quiet word from Manty who asked her how her mother was doing after he had treated her last week for her bad heart, soon cleared things up.

He then took her to a fancy looking restaurant and bought her some exotic food; some dishes she recognised from her holiday in Greece, but a lot were unfamiliar. She ate the food eagerly though, because she was hungry, and because she was aware of all the attention she was getting from the other Olympians and wanted to leave as soon as possible. There were probably many Olympians who wanted to shout at her or worse, but thankfully, their experience with Elisa Maza had taught them not to judge a book by its cover.

After she had eaten, Manty took her to a clothes store to get her some new ones, as the dress she was wearing was in tatters. Manty wasn't sure if they would have anything for a human, but he happened to know the finest tailor in the city, and knew that she could do anything with a needle and thread.

They soon came to small modest shop; passing through the automatic doors and going inside. Instantly there was another Manticore, a huge female one, who came bounding up towards them. Cassy stood back in fear, but relaxed when she saw the other Manticore throw her front paw up around Manty's neck. "Hey, bro!" the other Manticore boomed. "How's it going? Haven't seen you in ages!"

Manty grinned. "Hey, Mantaura! I've been great, how you been?"

The one he called Mantaura smiled broadly, and playfully punched her brother on the jaw. "You know me! Nothing ever keeps these paws down!"

Manty smiled, and stepped to the side to let her see Cassy. "I've been a little busy."

"Whoa! What you got there?"

Manty rolled his eyes. "It's a hairless monkey, Manta. What do you think it is? She's a human."

Manta walked up to Cassy and looked down at her. Cassy gulped and tried to keep her knees from knocking. Mantaura looked a lot like Manty except she was bigger, waaaaay bigger.

Manta lifted her paw to Cassy's chin, causing her to jump back in alarm. She grinned and looked back at her brother. "Fidgety, isn't she?" then she looked back at her. "Is she ticklish, too?" She then suddenly stuck out her paw again and tickled Cassy's belly. Cassy immediately flew into hysterics and laughed uncontrollably.

Mantaura grinned again. "Yup, I think she is," and let out a loud booming laugh, which Cassy wouldn't have been surprised if the whole island had heard.

Manty laughed, too; though not as loudly as his sister. "Her name's Cassy. She's going to be staying with me for a while, and as you can see, oh famous tailor sister of mine, she is in desperate need of some new clothes."

Mantaura stopped tickling Cassy, much to her relief, and took a step back to look at her, or more accurately her clothes. "Yep," she said. "Definitely need some new threads. Hold on and let me see what I can rustle up." Mantaura immediately flew into action and began picking up bits and pieces of material and other items.

Manty smiled and thought how amazing it was that a Manticore could be such a great tailor, considering that they didn't have any fingers, only paws. Fortunately for his sister, New Olympus had long since developed new technology for all types of jobs, for every species of Olympian, even tailor equipment.

"Okay, honey," Mantaura said, speaking to Cassy. "Step up here on the measurer."

Cassy walked up to the machine; Mantaura had gestured to, which was basically just a big square on the floor with two poles on either side. Cassy stepped up, and two green lights instantly shone out of the poles. One of them started at the top and descended down to the floor, while the other one started at the right and then to the left. After the lights were gone, there was a short beeping sound, and Mantaura checked the small screen at the side, went to the back room and immediately came back out again with a big dress. "Okay, honey, what do you think of this dress?"

Cassy stared at the dress in amazement. It was without a doubt the biggest dress she had ever seen before in her life, big enough for even Taurus to wear. "Umm… it's very pretty, but I think it's a little big for me, don't you think?"

Mantaura laughed loudly. "Zeus child, of course it's too big, but that doesn't matter. What do you think of the dress? If it was your size, would you wear it?"

Cassy looked at the dress again. It certainly was a very pretty dress. It was pale yellow silk one with a bow on the waist belt. "Yes, I like it."

"All right then!" Mantaura went into the back room again.

After a few minutes of waiting, Mantaura came back out with the dress, only it appeared to have been shrunk. Cassy gazed at it in amazement and stared at Mantaura, who gave Cassy one of her grins. "Didn't you hear me tell my brother that nothing could keep these paws down?"

Cassy smiled a big genuine smile, the first time since she had woken up in this strange land. She asked, "Can I try it on please?"

"Of course," Mantaura replied and turned her head to the right. "Fitting rooms are just back there. Knock yourself out."

Cassy took the dress and hurried along.

"Thank you, sister," Manty said. "I owe you one."

"You owe me two. I don't come cheap, you know." Mantaura laughed. Then she took on a serious tone. "Manty, I don't want to stick my nose into your business, but… "

"But you're going to anyway, right?" Manty butted in.

Mantaura rolled her eyes and continued. "But do you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for? Raising a human is going to be no easy task, bro."

"How did you know?"

"I was at the Senate of course. Everyone else was, so why shouldn't I have been? Look, the point is… do you know how tough this is going to be? I mean we're hardly the capital of human co-existence here, you know. Remember when that human… err, Mason?"

"Maza."

"Right, her, too. She came here, and everyone went completely berserk. There was a mob, too, remember? It was lucky Taurus was there to stop it before it got too out of hand, and Miss Maza was able to defend herself, but what about this girl?" Mantaura's eyes took on more sorrow as she spoke. "She's only a child. No, not even a child, she's practically a baby. Suppose an angry mob came after her and Taurus was nowhere in sight, how would she be able to defend herself? She'd be massacred." She looked at him, straight into his eyes. "And how would that affect you if that happened? Or maybe you could get caught in the riot and I can tell you, I'm not too fond of the chance that I might loose a brother."

Manty shuddered at the thought, but got what Mantaura was trying to say. "I know, sister. I've considered all that, but I've also considered what the alternative might be. She would have no home, no family. There isn't a single Olympian on this entire island who would even look at her, let alone take her in and raise her as their own. So what would you have me do? Turn my tail on her and forget she ever existed while she tries to get by in a city where everyone hates her for what she is and no one cares about her? No, Mantaura, no matter what the cost, I won't do that to an innocent child, whether it is a Human, Olympian or a Gargoyle. I won't!"

Mantaura sighed, as she knew better than to argue with her brother when he was this determined. "Fine, but I'm not going to take my eyes off you for a second when you're with me, understand? When you're not with me, I expect a COM call every hour on the hour, okay?"

Manty groaned, but nodded. "Okay, anything for a quiet life."

Mantaura stared at him. "Bro, after what I just said and everything, you expect to be living the quiet life?"

Manta snorted at his sister, but then grew quiet as Cassy re-entered the room in her new dress.

She nervously played with the frills and buttons of her dress, as she waited for them to say something. "Well?" she asked. "How do I look?"

Manty and Mantaura stepped back to get a better look at her. They looked at each other, then back at her, and chorused together, "You look absolutely beautiful!"

Cassy giggled and did a little twirl for them.

"Another masterpiece," Manty praised his sister. "Truly a work of art. I don't know how you do it."

His sister shrugged. "All it takes is practise… and what about you, Mister one of the city's best doctors?"

Manty laughed, and beckoned to Cassy. "Put it on my tab would you, Sis, thanks! Come on, Cassy, I think it's time I showed you your new home."

The instant he said these words, Cassy's expression sobered. She still smiled, but it was a forced smile. She couldn't stop thinking about her parents and their old home, and how she would never be able to go back there and see her family and friends again.

Cassy however put on a bright smile for her new guardian, and skipped out the shop with him.

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**Mantius' Apartment**

From Mantaura's shop, they walked until they reached a tall apartment building. Manty guided her inside, ignoring yet more disapproving looks from the other residents, to the elevator. Once inside he spoke out loud, "Level 50," and the lift instantly shot upward, making Cassy gasp and nearly taking her breath away.

When it stopped, she actually stumbled out of the lift when the doors opened. Manty laughed. "Not used to taking the lift?"

Cassy gasped. "No, I used the lift all the time back home, but none of them were as fast as that one."

Manty chuckled and lead Cassy down the corridor to the last apartment. "I think you'll like it here. It may take some time getting used to, but once you do, I think you'll find it comfortable."

He placed his huge paw over a panel to the right side of the door. There was a clicking sound, and the door opened. Manty moved aside to let Cassy go in first. Cassy stepped inside, not knowing what to expect, and was met with wonder.

The apartment was, without a doubt, luxurious. It had many fine features and fully automatic systems. The one thing that Cassy liked most about it was the flowers, as there were all sorts of blooming buds all over the place that gave off a sweet scent.

Manty noticed her looking at the flowers, and a sad smile crossed his face. "My mate loved flowers. She always had them in every room, in every nook and cranny. Nothing was complete without a flower or two, she used to say."

Cassy looked over to him in surprise. She didn't know he had a mate. "I didn't realise you were married?"

Manty lost his smile and raised his paw to wipe away a few tears that were threatening to spill. "Correction," he said. "I WAS married… She died about a year ago."

Cassy dropped her head in sorrow. "I'm sorry."

Manty shrugged. "It's all right, it's not your fault. These things just happen, we can't stop them or control them. We can only deal with what life dishes out and hope for the best."

Cassy knew he wasn't just talking about him and his mate, but about her and her parents as well. They were dead, plain and simple. There was nothing she could do about it now, so all she could do was deal with it as best as she could.

"How about we get some sleep now? You've had a hard day, and you need to up bright and early tomorrow for school."

"SCHOOL?!" She exclaimed.

"Well, of course," he smirked. "You didn't think you were going to get out of school work so easily, did you?"

Cassy smiled nervously, but inside she was out of her mind with fear. 'School,' she thought. 'With all the New Olympians children?'

The adults here were a little mean, but they kept their distance from her. At school she would be forced to interact with their kids, and some of them would no doubt hate her like their parents did. She remembered a kid from her old school that got beat up by the others just because he was black.

"Well, come on," Manty urged her. "Get in there and brush your teeth, and I'll show you to your bedroom."

Cassy did as she was told, and walked over to the bathroom. She had never seen so many buttons and switches. Everything was fully automatic, even the toothbrush, which was a little weirdly shaped, probably because the owner had more than one row of teeth… Well, fangs to be precise. She had to press nearly every button and switch there before she finally figured out how to work the stupid thing.

Once she was finished, she went back into the main room and found Manty waiting for her with a night-gown draped over his back. "Here, I bought this along with your dress back at Mantaura's."

Cassy took the gown and quietly said "Thank you," her mind still on what her new school was going to be like tomorrow.

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**The Next Day: **

After a long and stressful sleep, Cassy finally got up and dressed herself.

'School,' she thought to herself, 'in a place where the entire inhabitants fear and despise me. This is not going to be a good day.'

She groaned, made her way to the main living room, and saw Manty sitting on his hind legs with breakfast on the table, waiting for her.

Manty looked up and grinned at her. "Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

Cassy gave him a half-hearted smile. "Yes, thank you." Though inside she was still nervous about today.

Manty guessed what was wrong, but didn't know how to approach the problem.

'How,' he thought, 'do you get a young girl ready for her first day at school in a world where everyone hates her kind?'

"Look, sweetheart. There's nothing I can really say that's going to make this day get any better, but if you're strong and make it through today, then tomorrow will be a whole lot easier. All right?"

Cassy sighed and nodded. It wasn't exactly the best advice that she had ever got, but it would have to do.

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The school was a weird; circular shaped building with dozens of kids, from a different species. There were Centaurs, Manticores, Gorgons, Minotaurs and nameless others. Each of them gave her a long hard look, some of them were filled with contempt and hatred, no doubt thanks to their parents, and others were just plain curious.

Cassy stepped a little closer to Manty, as they walked into the building and up to the reception.

The woman at the reception desk was a tall, blue-skinned woman who was wearing a long dark-blue cloak. She eyed Cassy coldly, but remained polite and asked them what they needed.

"This is the human girl who will be joining your school," Manty said.

The woman blinked a couple of times, and then started. "Are you crazy?! We can't have a human here with the other children. "Imagine what an uproar it would cause with the parents. Not to mention the children!"

Manty stared back at her, without ever looking away. "She needs to have an education like any other child. Plus, what better way for us to get used to humanity than by sending her to school with our children? That way, our children will grow up with her and in time make friends with her, and when they've matured, they won't have the same bitterness and anger that their ancestors did!"

The blue woman sighed, and looked at Cassy.

Cassy couldn't help, but notice how blue her eyes were. True, everything about her was blue, from her hair and skin to her clothes, but her eyes were bluer than anything she had ever seen before in her entire life. They were like the kind of blue that you see in the deepest ocean, the sky, or on a clear summer's day.

The woman sighed again. "Very well. I'll take her to class now!"

Manty smiled, and then looked back at Cassy. "Okay, looks like your all set! Be good, okay?"

Cassy slowly nodded, and stuck out her lower lip, like she always did when trying to be brave, and followed the blue woman down the corridor.

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'Another day, another bad grade,' thought Cyan, as she swished her horses tail across the floor. Like all the Centaur children, she was seated on the floor with a notepad and writing material in front of her.

The classroom was like one of those Ancient Greek theatres, only not as big, but big enough. The reason for its huge size was because some of the New Olympian children, mainly the Cyclops, were up to about 10-15 feet tall.

Some of the other children like her who had more than one pair of feet had to sit on the ground in front of the others. The Cyclops, or other tall Olympians, had to sit at the back-rows, so as not to block any of the other children's view.

She was just getting herself comfortable when the voice of Mrs. Calisto, their teacher, came booming out of the loudspeaker. "Class, today we have a new student. I assume that you've all heard about the human child that joined our island yesterday? Well, she is our new student."

There was an instant uproar and murmuring across the classroom from the students. Most of them were deadly curious because they had never seen a human before. Cyan included.

"All right, that's enough!" Mrs. Calisto bellowed. "I want all of you to make sure she is welcome, and that you treat her with the utmost respect and courtesy, as I'm sure she'll give you."

Cyan lifted her head a little higher, waiting to see when the human would enter the room. Finally, after a few moments, she came.

It was a young girl, about her age, but she looked so seemingly frail and fragile.

'Not surprisingly that humans turned against our ancestors,' Cyan thought. 'Such a weak species. They were probably too scared to even come out of their homes, let along share their world with them."

Mrs. Calisto spoke to the human and then pointed towards the seats. The girl walked over, unsure as to where she should seat, as all of the students were giving her long looks, filled with curiosity and possibly hatred. Like their parents had.

Cyan gave the girl a pitying look and shuffled a little to her left to make room for her. "Hey! You wanna sit beside me?"

The human looked at her, surprised, smiled a little, and then sat down beside her. "Thank you," she said.

Cyan grinned. It seemed that she had just got another friend, and a human at that. What was everyone going to say?

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After a shaky start to the morning (New Olympus classes were a lot harder than human ones, probably because they were more advanced than them), Cyan showed her new friend, Cassy, around the school and introduced her to a few of her own friends.

She knew that a lot of the kids were curious about her and her race, and what the outside world looked like.

By recess, Cassy had five new friends who included another Centaur, a Gorgon, two Minotaurs, and a Cyclops.

The Cyclops' name was Hercules, which was an unusual name for an Olympian, because it was a Human name, but everyone called him Cyc. He was the one who had showed the most interest in her, and had spent hours observing her with that one big eye of his. When they first met, he had picked her up and handled her like she was no more than a doll, just so that he could get a good look at her. Fortunately, Cyan had been there and shouted at him to put her down.

All in all, it was turning out to be a rather fun day... _almost_.

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"So the Minotaur says to the Centaur, why the long face?"

Cassy burst into a fit of giggles along with her friend Cyan. Cyan as it turned out was a friendly and very cheerful young Centaur girl, and Cassy had grown to like her very much.

"HEY," a loud voice boomed from behind them "WHAT IN TARTARUS IS A HUMAN DOING HERE?!"

Cassy and Cyan turned around to see a large yellow-skinned boy with black hair and red eyes glaring down at her.

"Humans aren't supposed to be here in our school. Any who are on our island are supposed to be run out of our city and thrown into the sea. My dad says so!" He then bent over and grabbed Cassy by the front of her dress, and hoisted her up to him until they stared each other in the face.

"We don't like your kind around here, freak," he hissed at her and pulled back his fist, getting ready to throw a mean punch.

Cassy glanced desperately to her left to see where her friend had got to, but was soon dismayed when she saw Cyan being held back by two other boys. One, who was a pale blue-skinned lad with a Unicorn's horn growing out of his head and talons on his feet. The other had flames for hair like that other man had had when she first arrived on New Olympus.

She whimpered and braced herself for the punch, but before the bully could hit her. A long, loud and very angry sounding roar interrupted him to his left. Cassy looked and saw Manty bounding over towards them, his face bearing a look of complete rage.

Seeing the angry Manticore soon changed the bully's mind about beating up the defenceless Human. He dropped her and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, along with his two buddies who had long since released Cyan and fled without him. It was then that Cassy learnt her first two lessons about Manticores…

1. When they were sweet and kind, they were very sweet and kind.

2. When they were mad, they were terrifying!

She lay on the ground with her arms wrapped around herself and whimpered, she had never been bullied before in her life, everyone had always liked her and never picked on her. She hated it here on this island where everyone was so mean and cruel to her, just because she was a Human.

Manty soon came up to her and lifted her head up to him. Cassy just cried.

She so wanted to go back home with her parents and the other humans, but she knew that was impossible. No one could bring the dead back to life, no matter how hard she wished or how many times she prayed.

Cyan trotted up to her side, placed a warm hand on her shoulder and spoke "I'm sorry, Cassy. I'm soooo sorry."

Cassy looked up at her and asked. "For what? It wasn't your fault those bullies attacked us, and they were holding you back so you couldn't have done anything."

Manty looked up at Cyan. "Thank you for at least trying to help Cassy. It's a lot more than what most folks around here would have done!" He glared at one of the teachers who had been watching the whole incident from across the playground. She had only started to move towards them when Manty had seen them.

Cassy looked up at him. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was worried and decided to come and see if you were alright. I'm glad now that I did! Maybe it would be best if I enrolled you in some private tutoring lessons instead of school. It would be a lot safer."

Cassy then made a fierce look at her guardian and practically yelled, "NO!"

Manty gazed at her in shock. "But… Cassy… "

"NO, I mean it, Manty! Mom and Dad used to tell me stories about how Jews were taken prisoner and left to die in concentration camps because of their religion. How it was against the law for black children to play in the same parks as white children, and use the same hospitals and everything."

Cassy quickly got up to her feet. "Millions of innocent people were discriminated, tortured and sometimes killed, just because they weren't the same colour as other people were, but they never gave up! No matter what their enemies threw at them, or how much they suffered. They never gave up, and now all people have equal rights! If I were to turn back and just let those bullies win, then I would be no better than a quitter would, and your people would never accept me and my race!"

Manty gave Cassy a look of admiration and praise. He didn't know what a Jew was, but he had a feeling that they must have suffered something similar to what his kind had endured thousands of years ago. He never imagined that he would hear such words come from such a young child. "You're right, Cassy, but it's not going to be easy. I've already told you that. What you just experienced today was merely a sample of what's yet to come. It won't just be from the kids either, some of the parents will be just as bad."

"I know, but I can't just give up, can I? It hasn't been a completely bad day today. I've made some new friends as well as some rivals. All in all, I would say that it's been about half good and half bad today."

Manty smiled. "Well, that's something. Would you like to come home now and come back tomorrow?"

Cassy shook her head. "No, that's all right. I would prefer to stay and finish the day off."

Cassy looked over at Cyan and said. "We better get going or else we'll be late for class. You coming?"

Cyan grinned. "What's say we take a shortcut?" She knelt down on her front legs. "Hop on!"

Cassy didn't waste any time, as she had always loved horse riding. Before long, Cyan was galloping down the field to the school with a giggling Human on her back.

Manty waved his front paw at them, but he didn't smile. He hadn't been joking when he said it would be a very long time before his people would ever truly accept Cassy as a person, but she didn't have any choice. None of them did.

Manty sighed. How in the world did he get himself into this mess? Just yesterday, he was single and alone and his only biggest problem was getting to work on time. Now he was left with a little Human girl to take care of and raise.

Manty gave another big sigh. "Oh well, at least my life isn't so dull anymore."

He got up and decided to pay Taurus a visit. After what had happened today, someone needed to inform Taurus about the lack of interest that the teachers were showing in their student's activities.

**To Be Continued… **


	2. Chapter 2

**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.**

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**Outside New Olympus City Baths: **

Cassy moaned as Manty lead her to the city baths. All the homes on the island had their own sinks for brushing their teeth and going to the lavatory, but when it came to bathing… Apparently they all had to bathe together, and even more unusual, they bathed 'each other'.

Cassy still blushed at the thought.

She remembered when she had first gone to the baths. Thankfully, she hadn't have had to bathe with the adults, as that wasn't allowed. She had been more than embarrassed while washing herself, huddled together with over twenty other kids of various species.

Thankfully, none had tried washing her, as their parents must have warned them about humans and so stayed clear of her. Even so, she had narrowly escaped getting her foot stepped on by a Centaur, her hair chewed on by a Gorgons hair, and worse, she had spent most of the time staring into a Cyclops's big green butt, as he had been standing right in front with his back to her. Even worse still was that he had thought she had been checking him out, and made certain to stay exactly where he was, right in front of her, shoving his huge backside in her face.

She had been living on New Olympus now for over four years, and had grown into a fine young woman. Some of the Olympians had accepted her as one of them, but there were still the odd few who gave her the occasional dirty look, and there were always others who wouldn't mind having a go at attacking her.

She felt nervous, as today she wasn't going to bathe in the children's section, but in the adults. She wondered if she would ever stop blushing?

Manty whistled cheerfully, not noticing her discomfort, as for him this was natural. All Olympians bathed together, as there weren't many resources for their entire species on the one isle, so they had to make do.

They approached the city baths, which was built like a large Ancient Greek temple. When Cassy had first seen it, she had thought that was what it was, which had Manty and all the others near her laugh.

As they entered the building, Cassy was relieved to see her best friend Cyan waiting for her. Cyan was a Centaur who had befriended Cassy on her first day at school. She hadn't been a bigot towards her race though there were many who didn't feel the same way.

"Hey, Cass," Cyan greeted her warmly, hugging her.

Cassy grinned sheepishly. "How do you think I'm doing??? I'm about to go into the adults room."

Cyan grinned. "Yeah, I know. Great isn't it?!"

Cassy stared at her friend in disbelief. She guessed that she really was alone in this matter.

"Hello, Cyan," Manty smiled. "Been jogging I see?"

Cyan grimaced. "Yeah, I wish they'd find a way for me to jog without getting all sweaty and stinky."

Manty laughed, and the three of them walked in.

'What I wouldn't give to be back home right now,' Cassy thought, though she wasn't referring to her home with Manty, but her home back in the human world… the world where people didn't look like monsters and referred to her as one, and where everyone didn't strip and bathe together.

'Actually, strike that… What I wouldn't give for a private bathroom right now.'

They stepped into the main bathing area, and Cassy felt her cheeks turn so red that they were practically on fire. There weren't that many people in today, thank God. But there were still about six people in, which consisted of a couple of Harpies, a Cyclops, two Minotaurs and a Shape-shifter.

She squinted her eyes and found to her surprise that the Cyclops was Hercules, their friend from school, or Cyc, as he preferred to be called.

'And the guy who still thinks I'm a doll,' she thought bemusedly. Hercules had always had a fascination for her, wanting to learn more and more about her kind, but more than that he also enjoyed picking her up like a doll.

He was around fifteen feet tall, incredibly well built with moss green skin and bulging muscles. Clean- and his hair cut short and always combed back in an orderly fashion.

Hercules didn't notice them however, as the two Harpies were busy scrubbing all over his body including his… Cassy immediately turned her head. 'God, get me out of here,' she pleaded.

"Hey! Cassy, Cyan," Hercules' voice boomed at them and she was forced to look. Hercules had spotted them and was already making his way across, without making any attempt to cover himself. He was slightly older than they were. In terms of his actual age he was the same as them, but Cyclops' bodies matured faster than theirs so he had already been going to the adult baths longer than they had.

"Hey, girl, how's it hanging?" Hercules cheerfully asked a common human greeting, something that Cassy had taught him when she first arrived.

Cassy squeaked, "Hi, Cyc." She couldn't take her eyes off him, particularly in his private area.

He seemed to know what she was thinking, which wasn't hard considering her eyes were practically bulging out of her head at the sight. He flexed in front of her. "Like what you see, huh?"

"CYC!" Cyan said in annoyance and kicked him in the leg with her hoof. "You have a totally too high opinion of yourself!"

"Hey, who can blame her?" Cyc said, laughing as he turned around still flexing and flicked his buttocks at them. "With a bod as amazing as this, who can possibly resist?"

'Should have known he would have the least problem with showing off his thing,' she thought.

"Umm…" Cyan said sarcastically, "how's about… everyone?"

"Ahh, you're just jealous," Cyc sneered at her.

"Ahh, bite me," Cyan retorted and then pointed out. "And bite your big fat ass, too."

"Wanna do it for me?"

"This is what I like most of all when we get together," Cassy whispered to Manty. "We have such interesting conversations."

Manty laughed, when his bleeper suddenly went off. He frowned and looked it over in his large paw. "Curses, it looks like I'm needed for some help in surgery. Looks like you'll have to wash your own back, Cass. Catch ya later." He planted a small kiss on her and ran out the baths.

Cassy waved goodbye to him. She then looked back to Cyan and Cyc who were still busying themselves by insulting one another (they could do this for hours). So Cassy sighed and started to undress. Since there weren't many people there she didn't feel too self-conscious.

She took off her clothes slowly, and reached down to pick up the hose.

"Need some help?" a voice said behind her, startling her.

She spun around in shock and came face to face with the island' chief of security, Taurus.

"Oh, Chief Taurus," she said while covering herself with her arms. "You startled me."

"Sorry," he said. "When you're in my line of work you tend to do that a lot, sneaking up on people, so I guess it stays with you."

Cassy smiled. "I guess so. Oh and no, I don't need any help, I'm… "She suddenly stopped, as Taurus was beginning to take off his own garb.

Taurus had just taken his shirt off when he noticed her eyeing him strangely. He quirked an eyebrow at her and asked, "Something wrong?"

"No," she said breathlessly as he wriggled out of his pants revealing his manhood (or man/bull-hood as he were) and she thought to herself. 'Man, he's even bigger than I thought.'

She mentally slapped herself and vowed to keep a clear head. She had always had a bit of a crush on Taurus. Despite the fact that he was part cow, he had a sexy voice, strong build, and he was one of the few Olympians who were nice to her.

"Want me to scrub?" he suddenly asked her.

"Huh?" she said. "What did you say?"

Taurus repeated, "I said do you want me to scrub, as in scrub you?"

"Oh," Cassy blushed, but she couldn't help giggling a bit. "Sure!" She turned around, as Taurus took the bail of water and tipped it over her, soaking her from head to foot. He then took a nearby sponge and soap, rubbed them in, and began scrubbing her back.

Cassy sighed in content as Taurus cleaned her. Inwardly she was surprised at his soft touch, as Taurus had always come across as being rough and rigid. He was surprisingly gentle with her as he roamed his hands over her back. This was the first time that someone else besides Manty and Cyan, who often came with her, scrubbed her back, and so far it was nice.

Then, Taurus rubbed his hands over her chest… "HEEEYYYY!" She squealed in surprise and jumped away from him.

Taurus stepped back and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.

"You… You touched me." She breathed out.

Taurus still looked confused. "Yes, so? You wanted me to clean you, right?"

Cassy felt like slapping herself for real this time. Of course he touched her, they were in the baths and that's what Olympians did. They bathed each other.

To them, flesh was just flesh. Many of the Olympians did not wear clothes, like Manticores and such, and the only ones who did, like Taurus or Boreas; they did so because they either suffered from the elements more easily than other Olympians, or just for decoration. Taurus himself wore his clothes, as they were his uniform, so the people would know him to be chief of security. But no one wore anything in the baths, and since they weren't bothered by the nakedness of flesh then they certainly didn't mind helping others to get clean.

"Umm, yeah," she replied. "You just surprised me that's all."

"Oh, sorry," he said, and then continued with the cleaning.

At first she wanted to snap out and tell him not to do that, but… if only it didn't feel so good. He rubbed his hands all over, soaping her body, before taking another bail of water and rinsing her clean.

Cassy sighed, but then she remembered what was supposed to happen next. She looked to Taurus who had already filled the empty bail again and was soaking himself with it. Once he was finished, he turned around and stood to attention with his hands on his hips, telling her that it was his turn now.

She gulped, and took the sponge and soap. She performed the bathing rather mechanically, her blushing never ceasing, especially when she came to the part of washing in-between his legs and backside. He certainly rose up to the occasion then, in more ways than one.

Finally she finished, and Taurus rinsed himself with another bail, as Cassy was too weak to hold a heavy thing like that and flung it over a guy as big as him.

"Thank you," he said. "Maybe we'll do this some other time?"

"I'd like that," she said, wanting to faint. Taurus smiled at her, bowed and departed.

Cassy looked at his departing form a few moments longer before she suddenly realised that she hadn't heard anything from Cyan and Cyc. She turned around, only to see her two friends sitting on the other side of the room, both having finished their own baths and looking at her, smirking.

"Feeling refreshed now, huh?" Cyan said conversationally.

Cassy fumed. "I'm surprised you two aren't still at it. You're usually at each other's throats by now."

Cyc leaned over, his bright eye gleaming. "We sort of worked out our differences for now. Besides, we didn't think you'd want to hear us shout and bicker when you had your hands all over Chief Taurus."

Cassy blushed furiously. She seemed to be doing that a lot today.

"Hey," Cyc suddenly said. "You looked like you really knew what you were doing back there. How's about coming over and give me a rubdown?"

Cassy looked at him wearily. "Cyc, I wouldn't live long enough to scrub down your entire backside."

Cyan laughed, and Cyc fumed.

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**A Couple of Hours Later; City Centre: **

Cassy, Cyan and Cyc sat down at the large statue of Atlas, one of Boreas's ancestors that bore an uncanny resemblance to the New Olympian leader, in the city centre. Cyc was busy being making eye contact with anything female that walked.

'Guy thinks with nothing but his hormones,' Cassy thought. He'd started dating at the age of thirteen, and so far he must have had at least a hundred girlfriends since then, one from every race. He was particularly interested in her, since she was the only one of her kind on the entire island, but she had no interest in a relationship with anyone. Particularly with a guy who could flatten her if he turned over in bed, and especially when that guy was Cyc.

"So have you thought about where you're going to be working?" Cyan asked.

"Hmm?" Cassy said.

"The work experience of course," Cyan blew exasperated. "Come on, Cass, you've only till the end of tomorrow, and if you haven't picked one yet then you'll fail."

Cassy sighed miserably. When Olympian teenagers reached the age of sixteen then they went on a work experience for a couple of weeks to see how they adapt to working in the real world… or in this case, the island. Needless to say, she wasn't looking forward to working with anyone, as she was sure no one would employ her, her being a human and all, and if they did then she doubted that it would be pleasant.

"I just don't know," she said, making up an excuse. "It's such a big decision."

"Well, why don't you just join me in my job?" Cyc suggested. "My boss is a good guy. As long as you have a good pair of hands then he'll employee anyone."

Cassy glared at him. "I am NOT going to work at the city baths, Cyc!" Cyc had got a job working at the baths as a helper, one of the people who helped the bathers with their bathing, and gave them massages and everything. It didn't take a genius to know why he had taken that job.

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it, Cass," Cyc protested. "You might meet somebody through it, and if not then at least you'll get to feel the bods of some pretty hot looking Harpies… and Minotaurs." He said the last part with a smirk, referring to their chief of security.

"You're never going to let me forget about that are you," Cassy sighed bemusedly.

"Tartarus no!" Cyc grinned.

Cassy laughed a bit, but she was still left with the problem of where she was going to spend her work experience? She sighed and frowned. She was basically going to have the same problem with everyone she went to work with, and none of the other employees would probably want anything to do with her, or worse. What she needed was someone who was fair and who wouldn't stand for any kind of bigotry, but who… Suddenly she had it!

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**Security Headquarters: **

"Taurus?" Helios knocked on Taurus's office door.

Taurus looked up from his paperwork, glad for the interruption. Being a security chief was rewarding in knowing you were keeping the peace, and protecting your home and people, but it sure gave out a lot of paperwork to complete. "What is it, Helios?"

Helios grimaced. "That human is here, and she wishes to speak to you."

Taurus leaned back and regarded Helios carefully. "That human wouldn't happen to be Miss Williams, would it?"

Helios looked blankly at him. "Err, there's no other human on the island, sir, so yes."

"Then kindly refer to her by that instead of 'that Human' the next time," he said, looking dangerously at his officer.

Helios cringed and left the room. A few moments later, Cassy came in and smiled at him. "Hello, sir," she greeted warmly.

Taurus smiled back at her. "Hello, Cassy. Come for another scrub have you?"

"What?!" She replied shockingly. "No, no, just a friendly visit."

Taurus smirked at that, as he had never known teenagers to just come in to pay a friendly visit without some angle. "Well, you're here, so what can I do for you, and incidentally you can call me Taurus. I never could stand the title sir." He waved his hand over to a seat for her to sit down on.

Cassy smiled. "Thanks… Taurus." She walked over and sat down. "Actually I was wondering if you could do something for me."

Taurus grinned. "Depends on what it is?"

Cassy took a deep breath. "Would you allow me to come work for you?"

Taurus blinked in surprise until he remembered that it was work experience month at the school. "Well," he considered. "Things have been rather slow recently. There have been no emergencies of any kind, and the prisoners are all safely locked away, so there won't be anything you can really do really besides paperwork."

"That's fine with me," Cassy replied.

Taurus suddenly smiled. "Well, when do you intend on starting?"

"The work experience takes place next week… "She started...

"Well, how about you start now?" Taurus said, getting up.

Cassy looked at him surprised. "Now?"

"Sure, why not?" he said. "You'll have a head start on the others, and it'll get you prepared for when you start next week." He picked up all the paperwork on his desk and dropped them right in front of her.

Cassy looked in dismay at the huge pile, thinking, 'THIS is what I wanted to get into?' "Umm, well… Manty is really expecting me back so… "

"Don't worry bout that," Taurus smiled. "I'll call him and let him know you'll be late." He stuck out his hand and shook hers. "Welcome aboard, Cassy. Nice to have you aboard. Let me know if you run into trouble." He walked out then to check on the prisoners.

Cassy watched him go, then looked back at the pile of reports, and sighed in defeat. "Crap," was all she could say.

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**One Week Later: **

Cassy frowned as she went over the latest report from the Harpies beauty boutique. Cyan was working there as a wing stylist, as she had always had a knack for fixing and styling wings, making them look beautiful.

They had just upgraded their security system, but wanted Taurus to send a guard to patrol their street. Cassy shook her head; Harpies were so paranoid it was unbelievable.

"Cassy?" Taurus called out for her.

She raised her head as he came in. "How are the reports coming along?" he asked her.

She smiled, and finished writing in the last sentence before placing it on top of the pile next to her. "All done," she said.

Taurus cocked his eyebrow at her. "Really?" He walked over and quickly scanned through the papers. "Impressive," he finally said. "You've finished ahead of time."

Cassy beamed. "Thanks, I've always had a knack for writing."

"Maybe you should think about writing a book," Taurus suggested. "Write about your old home with your kind, the different cultures, music and art… etc?"

Cassy paused at that. She had never really considering writing before, even though she enjoyed it thoroughly. "I don't know," she said unsure. "Maybe."

Taurus smiled. "Well, if you do then I'd wager you'd make a sure good one."

Cassy nodded to thank him.

"Say, since it's nearly closing time now, why don't you go home early?"

"Thanks, Taurus," she said as she got up and moved around. She felt his hard and yet soft body press up against her as she moved past him. She concentrated on getting out the room as fast as she could.

Taurus chuckled as he watched her go. "Sweet girl," he said honestly.

Cassy decided to go down and check how Cyan and Cyc were doing at their positions. She wondered if Cyc had actually been concentrating on his actual work instead of whomever he was working on.

She had just got to the city baths when Cyc came stumbling out, his eye looked sore as if he had seen a ghost.

"Hey, Cyc," Cassy said wondering. "What's up with … "She didn't get a chance to finish, as Cyc scooped her up and nearly crushed her.

"Cassy!" Cyc cried. "I've been put through the most hellish torture of my life. Tartarus couldn't be worse!"

Cassy struggled to breathe. "What are you talking about?" But just when Cyc was about to answer, she saw Echidna the Gorgon, who had been the most against her staying, come slithering out of the baths. She flared her eyes at her briefly before turning and giving a sweet smile to Cyc.

"Thank you sooo much for the massage, Cyc," she crooned. "I'll know exactly who to ask for the next time I'm here." With that she slithered away.

Cyc shivered. "She says that to me every day, like I don't remember the first three times!" He wailed. "Everything was fine and dandy until she came along. I gave her a bath and a massage, and suddenly she wants me to be her personal helper every time she's there, every day!"

Cassy stifled her giggling, trying hard not to laugh. Cyc noticed and glared at her.

"Oh fine," he yelled. "Laugh all you want, but you wouldn't be laughing if you were the one who had to touch that scaly old snake's hide!" He shuddered again.

Cassy took on a more sympathetic look and patted him on the chest, as he was still holding her. "There, there, Cyc, she's gone now. And we only have a couple of more weeks to get through this. Once that's done then you won't have to see her again ever."

Cyc sobbed and hugged her. "Just keep telling me that."

Cassy sighed. "What say we go pick up Cyan and catch a flying Pegasus at the Eat-All-U-Can?" Eat-All-U-Can was a fairly popular restaurant for teenagers where the three of them spent most of their time. And a flying Pegasus was some kind of vegetable that grew on the island that their ancestors had genetically engineered. She never did find out what it was.

Cyc nodded. "Sure."

"Good," she said and then added. "Now would you mind putting me down?!"

0000000000000000000

They met Cyan at the boutique, and Cyan was more than glad to be out of there. It seemed she wasn't having much luck at her place either.

"The old vultures are never satisfied," Cyan swore. "I trimmed an old Harpies left wing and it looked great. She even agreed, yet the oldies said that I hadn't clipped off enough here and that I needed some moose there. They're never ever satisfied with anything I do."

"They're not supposed to," Cassy said. "They wouldn't be proper employers if they didn't make their employee's lives miserable."

They chuckled at that, and sipped their drinks.

Suddenly, there was a high screeching sound that rung out, and made them drop their drinks in surprise.

"What on earth…?" Cyc began.

"It's the security alarm," Cassy explained. "There's been a breach." She got up to run back to the Security HQ.

"Wait up, Cass!" Her friends called, and before she knew it she was being pulled up into the air. She looked up and saw Cyc holding her.

"We'll take the shortcut," he laughed and began running over and past the other Olympians on the ground, with Cyan galloping close behind them.

They soon reached the HQ where Cyc carefully lowered Cassy onto the ground. "These legs aren't just for looking pretty, you know," he said and slapped his calf.

"Well, you have to have something good about you, I suppose," Cyan muttered.

"Ah, you're just saying that because you can never beat me in a race."

"Guys!" Cassy shouted. "Later!" She ran into the building and began looking for Taurus. She didn't find him, but she soon found Helios and Chiron standing at the prisoner's cells.

"What happened?" She asked.

The two of them gave her a cold look, but she had long since got to used to it. Chiron was the first to speak.

"Proteus escaped his cell," he told her.

Cassy gasped. "How? How did he do it?"

Helios's hair flamed even higher and on his face was a mask of pure rage. "He'd been using simple tools like his knife and fork to mine some holes around the edge of the force field, too small to notice. He's been doing it for years, and once they were adequate he changed himself into a tiny insect and crawled through."

Cassy blinked. "I didn't know he could become something so small?"

Helios sneered at her. "If he could change into something as big as a Cyclops then don't you think he could change into something small as well?"

Cassy ignored him. "Where's Taurus?"

There was a silence, which made Cassy feel very uneasy. "Well, where is he?"

Chiron looked uneasily at Helios, and looked as though he was about to speak when Manty showed up.

"Cassy!" he cried in joy and ran to her, embracing her with his large paw. "Thank the Gods you're safe!"

Cassy patted his back. "I'm fine, Manty, really. But what's happened to Taurus?"

Manty pulled back and looked accusingly at Helios and Chiron. "You didn't tell her?!"

"Tell me what?" Cassy said desperately.

Manty looked at her, and sighed. "Cassy, Taurus was hurt when Proteus escaped. I mean really hurt."

Cassy gasped. "Is he dead?" She swallowed, not wanting to hear the answer.

"No," Manty said thankfully. "But the next twenty-four hours are critical. I… I can't be sure if he's going to make it."

Cassy blinked back a few tears. "Do you know where Proteus is?"

Manty looked back to the others who shook their heads. "He disappeared in the crowd," Chiron said. "But don't worry, we'll find him." He said the last part meaning it as a promise and silent vow, but Cassy wasn't satisfied.

"I want him now!" She screamed and ran out of the building where she found Cyan and Cyc waiting for her. She had forgotten that they would need security passes to get in.

"Cass!" Cyc yelled. "Where you been? What happened?"

Cassy didn't say a word but strode right past her friends. Cyc and Cyan looked at her, and then at each other with a blank look before breaking into a sprint after her. In Cyc's case he only had to take one large step to catch up with her.

"Whoa, babe," he said, as he gently put a hand on her shoulder. "What's the rush?"

"Proteus has escaped," Cassy wasted no time in telling them.

Cyc frowned. "The evil shape-shifter dude who killed Taurus's dad?"

Cassy nodded and tried to leave, but Cyc wouldn't take his arm off her. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I'm going to look for Proteus of course," Cassy swore. "And when I find him… by the time I'm through with him, no amount of shape-shifting will help him and his face!"

"Cass," Cyan sighed. "Going after a merciless killer like Proteus isn't gonna help. He'd make mincemeat out of you."

"I'll be fine!" Cassy retorted.

"Oh yeah right," Cyan glared at her. "A teenage Human going after a fully grown murdering shape-shifter with the ability to change into absolutely anything he wants!"

Cassy glared back at her. "Well, I can't just stand around and do nothing!"

"Fine, but do something sensible," Cyc supported Cyan.

"Like what?!" Cassy cried.

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****

**New Olympus Hospital: **

Manty checked Taurus's lifelines once more. So far things were going well, as his heart was strong. Proteus had only fired one shot at him with a laser gun, but it had struck him in his heart. Using their technology, they had implanted an artificial heart inside of him until they could successfully clone a new one.

His lifelines weren't completely stable, but they were much better than what they had been, which had been almost non-existent.

The door opened, and Manty turned around to tell whoever it was that no visitors were allowed, until he saw that it was Cassy. He sighed. "Cassy, only family is allowed to see him."

Cassy didn't take her eyes off him. "And how many relatives have come to see him since he's been here?"

Manty paused. She had him there, as Taurus had no family, not since his father had been killed. "You still shouldn't be here."

Cassy walked over, sat down beside Taurus's bedside and grasped his hand. "I _have_ to be here."

Manty gave her a sympathetic smile. "This isn't your fault, Cassy," he told her. "No one knew what Proteus was up to. You were merely there as a file clerk. Checking the prisoners wasn't your responsibility."

Cassy sighed. "I still should have known."

Manty cocked his head, regarding her carefully. "You like him, don't you?"

Cassy looked at Manty, blushing slightly. "Of course I do, he's one of the few people who don't take one look at me and start saying 'filthy Human', or give me dirty looks."

"That's not what I mean and you know it, Cass," Manty replied patiently. "You reallllllly like him, don't you?"

Cassy blushed brightly then, but didn't say anything. Manty sighed and walked over to her. "I can't say I'm exactly pleased, as he is a lot older than you. But I don't think I'll have anything to worry about with him, as he seems a honourable soul. He won't try anything."

"Not by Olympian standards anyway," she thought, thinking back to the baths.

Manty touched her shoulder and nuzzled her affectionately. "Stay as long as you wish, just don't wear yourself out, okay?"

Cassy smiled and kissed Manty's paw. "I won't, and thank you."

Manty gave her one last smile before departing, leaving Cassy with Taurus. He looked so different from the way she knew him, so still and lifeless, just lying there on that damn hospital bed with all those monitors and tubes sticking out of him.

She stroked his huge hand and sniffed. He had been one of the few who had accepted her, mainly because of her young age at the time, and he had already met one friendly Human that taught him that not all humans were evil. Not to mention he had given a good report on her work experience assignment.

She thought about Proteus and wondered where he was. She knew he wanted to escape the island more than anything, but the last time he did that he had tried to blow up the island first, as revenge for imprisoning him.

Suddenly, something clicked inside of her… If he tried it the first time then why wouldn't he do it the second?

Cassy quickly got up, but kissed Taurus's forehead before she left. "I'll get him for you, Taurus," she promised. "I swear it." She just hoped that she would have a fair chance at actually facing Proteus, let alone catching him. But if she was going to do this, then she was going to need a few things…

0000000000000000000

**Security HQ; An Hour Later: **

Cassy looked from the window in Taurus's office at the tall building that was the power-centre for the whole island. It reminded her of the leaning tower of Pisa, except it wasn't leaning. Good thing, too, because it was so high that if it did then it would crush half the city.

She swore as she wondered how she was going to get in, as only authorised personnel were allowed entry. Then she remembered what Taurus had told her about the Human Elisa Maza who had used a hovercraft to get to the top.

Taurus had told her a fair bit about her, probably because she was only human besides her who had come to New Olympus. He seemed a bit distant though whenever he talked about her, and when she asked about that he had said that she had been more than a friend to him, but refused to say anything more.

She added in the items she had come for into her bag, and prepared to leave.

Suddenly the door opened, and Cassy turned to find Helios standing in the doorway glaring at her. "What in Tartarus do you think you're doing here?!" he shouted at her.

Cassy didn't have time for this. "Just collecting my last paycheque," she said and casually walked out past him, but he went after her.

"What do you have in the bag?!" He snatched at her bag and tried to take it.

"None of your damn business," she shouted back at him, and landed a solid kick at his shin. Helios grunted, his eyes flaring even brighter as he glared at her, and formed a fireball in his hand to throw at her.

Before he could however, Cassy swung her bag and hit him at the side of his head, slamming him into the wall.

"OOF!" Helios practically growled at her, as he slowly moved to get back up, but didn't get the chance as Cassy swung her bag again, this time knocking him out completely.

"There goes my grade," she said as she ran out to find the nearest hovercraft.

0000000000000000000

**New Olympus Power Centre; A Few Minutes Later: **

"WHOA," Cassy cried, as she narrowly escaped smashing into yet another building with the hovercraft she was flying.

'How in Tartarus do you fly these things?!'

She steered frantically, as she soared past an advertisement sign for a new eye lotion for Cyclops. (She must remember to tell Cyc about that.)

She had stolen Helios's hovercraft that he had parked outside headquarters. If she ever made it out of this alive then she should give him some advice about locking his hovercraft to prevent someone else from stealing it.

Finally, she reached the power-centre and was able to stall the craft, making it hover in the air while she checked things out. Like her, Chiron and Helios must have also thought Proteus would come back for another go at destroying the island. She briefly wondered whether she should be doing anything at all.

Then Helios arrived and Cassy groaned. 'Terrific,' she thought. 'Now I'm never going to hear the end of this, and knowing Helios and Chiron I'll be stuck in a cell until I'm ninety.'

She tried to listen to what they were saying, but she was too far away, and she didn't dare to go any closer. Chiron seemed to be laughing about something that Helios had said, which was probably about his latest hit with her. Then Helios stepped inside the building and vanished from sight.

Chiron however stayed standing where he was, guarding the entrance to the tower. He didn't seem to be in a rush to find and arrest her, but then she supposed that he had worse things to worry about like catching Proteus.

She wondered if Helios would ever forgive her and… Wait a minute! How the devil did Helios get all the way here so fast without his hovercraft?!

'Ohhh crap,' Cassy swore, and started the engine again.

0000000000000000000

Proteus smirked as he rode the elevator up to the top floor where the main controls for the power-centre were stationed. He wondered if they had bothered to change the access codes since the last time he attempted total destruction. Probably, but he had plenty of experience in cracking codes, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

The elevator finally reached the top, and to his surprise and delight he found the top floor to be empty, where not even the glorified toaster-oven Talos was usually located.

'They must be holding a meeting or something,' he thought, as Talos rarely left this place.

His face gleaming with glee, Proteus slipped back into his true form and crossed the room to the control panel.

"Okay," he said out-loud. "Let's start off small, shall we. Maybe wipe out the entire East Coast of the isle and work our way from there." He raised his hands to start tapping in the codes.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" Proteus screamed, as he felt a laser hit him from behind, and he angrily spun around to see a young girl flying unsteadily on a hovercraft.

Proteus blinked in surprise when he saw that it was a Human girl that had fired on him. 'You've got to be kidding me,' he thought. 'Two humans, both times when I tried this. There must be a conspiracy!'

The girl took aim to take another shot, and Proteus instantly destabilised his molecular structure, allowing him to move quickly and freely in a liquid form.

Cassy swore as the shape-shifter averted her blasts. "Stand still, you living gelatine!"

The liquid paused and reverted back into Proteus. "Okay," he replied. "Just don't shoot."

Cassy blinked at Proteus's apparent surrender. "Umm, okay… Put your hands over your head!" she said. Proteus did as he was told.

Cassy steered the craft as near to the edge as she could before hopping onto the building. "Okay, now put your hands on your head!"

Proteus gave her a stupid look. "In case you haven't noticed, child, I already am."

Cassy felt her cheeks burn up. "I had noticed! But keep them up where I can see them!"

Proteus raised his hands over his head and waited until Cassy came closer. "So, I take it you must be Cassy then?"

Cassy paused in surprise, curious as to how he knew her name, as she had never actually met him, or even seen him before.

He smiled at her cruelly.

"I've heard your name mentioned a few times by our ever so wonderful security chief Taurus," he said. "You apparently have quite a fan in him, as I haven't heard him go off about a woman before since the Human Elisa Maza was here."

Cassy felt her curiosity override her sense of judgement. "Taurus… Elisa?"

"Oh, surely you knew," he said, smirking at her naivety. "Taurus and Miss Maza had a sort of a fling after she stopped me from blowing up the island the first time. Apparently, her willingness to sacrifice herself and her freedom to stop me truly impressed him. So much that it even warmed the heart of our stone cold chief. Speaking of which, how is dear Taurus? Not too shaken up, is he?"

Cassy glared at him. "Shut up! Turn around and place your hands behind your bac…" She never got to finish, as Proteus instantly melted back into his liquid form and encased her inside of him.

"MMMM," Cassy squealed as she felt her air being cut off.

Despite this, she could hear Proteus's voice chuckling at her expense. "Ah youth, so arrogant, so cocky… Reminds me of me." Suddenly, Cassy felt herself propelled through the air and released, slamming into a pillar.

She felt her bones crack as she fell to the floor, and glanced up hatefully at Proteus who had now assumed the form of a huge Cyclops, even bigger than Cyc, and with a long white beard.

He stomped over to her, placed his large foot on her back and pressed down on her.

Cassy clenched her teeth as the weight on her back, together with her cracked bones, sent ripples of pain throughout her entire system.

"Try taking a foot bath once in a while, mate," she hissed through her teeth. "Your feet smell something awful."

Proteus laughed. "I like a girl with spunk!" He took his foot off of her. "For that I'll let you live… Until I blow up the island that is." He reverted back to his true form and stepped back up to the panel.

Cassy tried in vain to get up, but the pain was too great. She cried out and slumped back to the floor. Proteus looked at her in mock pity. "Awww, baby got a boo-boo? Don't worry, uncle Proteus will soon make it all better. Because in a little while, you won't feel a thing." He laughed.

Cassy swore, and tried to look for her laser, or Taurus's laser to be more precise, but she had lost it when Proteus had engulfed her. It could have fallen over the edge for all she knew.

Proteus began tapping in the controls of the panel. Cassy felt a few tears slip through her eyes. 'Taurus, Manty, Cyc, Cyan… I'm so sorry.'

Proteus filled in the last of the codes. "Okay, now let's see… what the?"

Cassy looked up, but before she even had time to blink, another shooting pain shook through her entire body, and she felt herself slip into oblivion.

0000000000000000000

**New Olympus Hospital: **

_"Why didn't you stop her?!" _

_"That's kind of hard to do while you're unconscious friend!" _

_"She could have died because of you!" _

_"ENOUGH!"_

Cassy moaned as the voices filled her head and she slowly opened her eyes, but shut them again at the harsh brightness of the light. When she moaned however, it seemed to end all the voices and she felt someone dab something cool and wet on her forehead.

_"Cassy?"_ she heard someone whisper into her ear.

She forced herself to open her eyes, this time all the way, until she found herself looking into Manty's concerned face.

She looked around and found herself back in the hospital, only this time she was the patient. She saw Helios, Chiron and Boreas himself standing close by.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

Manty dabbed her head again. "You got caught in the trap."

"Trap?"

Manty sighed. "Cassy dear," he began. "You really shouldn't go head first into things you know nothing about." She looked blankly at him, and then Boreas spoke.

"You weren't the only who guessed that Proteus would once again attempt destroying the island after he escaped," Boreas explained. "After his last attempt we not only changed the codes, but we added in a safety trap. An electrical field that would activate and could electrify a fully grown Cyclops, if a single incorrect code was typed in."

Cassy groaned. "Let me guess," she said while looking at the electrical burns on her body. "Proteus typed in the wrong code."

Helios laughed. "His ass was cooked."

Manty looked sharply at him, and he fell silent. He looked back to his adopted daughter. "Cassy, whatever possessed you to go after a mad man like Proteus?! You were so lucky that you weren't killed, and when the safety trap went off… You were lucky then that it didn't fry you to a crisp."

Cassy looked down at the sheets. "I just… I was so mad at him for hurting Taurus that I… I guess I thought that I needed to get him… for Taurus." She cringed. "I'm sorry; I know it was real dumb."

"Real dumb is right," another voice sounded beside her.

Cassy turned to her left in shock, and found she was in Taurus's room with Taurus sitting up in bed wide awake.

"Taurus," Cassy squeaked. "You're… "

"I'm fine," he said, and to prove it he actually got up out of bed and walked around for a bit. "I'm afraid my condition was more than slightly exaggerated."

Cassy looked to Manty confused.

Manty cringed. "I'm sorry, Cass. Taurus was never really seriously hurt. His clothes were recently fitted in with an insulated cloth that absorbed the ray of the gun used on him."

Cassy looked at him and then back at Taurus, her nostrils flaring as she glared and practically snarled at them. "You mean you were all right the entire time!"

Taurus sighed. "I'm sorry, Cassy, but Boreas believed that Proteus might not stay on the island if he knew that I was still around and searching for him… and I agreed. So we decided that if we made everyone believe that I was in critical condition then Proteus would think it was safe to come try his luck at the tower again."

"And then he would go and get fried in that electrical net of yours," she finished for him, looking bitter.

Taurus nodded. "We had to keep up the pretence, even with you, because we couldn't be sure that you were you, or Proteus in disguise."

Cassy looked hatefully at him. "I would have thought the words I said to you would have been proof enough!"

Taurus looked at her sympathetically. "I'm really sorry; I never meant to put you through any pain. And I certainly didn't want to incite you to go after Proteus yourself."

Cassy felt her cheeks begin to heat up again, but she didn't know whether it was from the electrical burns or her embarrassment.

Suddenly, there was a lot of shouting coming from the hallway.

"I don't care whose with her either! You let us in now or I'll have Cyc bust his way in there!"

'Gotta be Cyan,' Cassy thought.

"Oh for… "Manty swore. "Can't that girl ever go anywhere without someone calling security?!"

Suddenly the door burst open and Cyc's leg came in, followed by the rest of him, as he squeezed through the doorway.

"Ugh," he grunted. "They never make these damn things big enough! Cass!" He smiled in relief when he saw his friend and rushed up to her. "You all right," he asked urgently.

Cassy smiled; relieved to have something to take her mind off what had just happened. "I'm fine," she said.

"Want me to give you the kiss of life?" Cyc said, wiggling his eye-ridge at her.

Cassy rolled her eyes. "You never quit, do you."

Cyan was soon to follow into the room, along with several guards who were valiantly trying to keep her at bay.

"Get your stinking claws off of me, dirt bags!" she cried out, and kicked at the annoying male nurses and security guards.

Boreas blinked at the two who had entered. "Well, if anything this has reminded me that we need to increase the size of the doorways."

Neither Cyc nor Cyan bothered to register him, or perhaps didn't notice that Boreas the leader of New Olympus was standing right in the same room with them, as they were too concerned for their friend.

Cyan also rushed over to Cassy and asked her hurriedly, "You all right, kid?!"

"I'm fine," Cassy said, exasperated. "I wish people would stop asking me that."

"Might I have a few moments alone with her," Taurus asked.

Cyc and Cyan both gave him a curious look, and only just noticed that they weren't alone in the room.

"Ohhh… man," Cyan breathed as she looked up… and up at Boreas.

"Holy Zeus," Cyc blinked multiple times.

Manty sighed. "I think that'll be best for now. Come on, you two, you can gawk all you want outside the room." He shooed them out, not that it was hard as they were still adjusting to the shock of being in the same room with thee Boreas. They left the room, followed by Boreas and the others.

Taurus sat down on the side of her bed, regarding her thoughtfully for a second before speaking. "Were you even aware of how dangerous it was what you were doing?"

Cassy still felt angry at being humiliated into thinking he was at death's door. "Yeah, but if I was in any danger then I guess I would have just laid low and played dead… Seems to work just fine with you."

Taurus sighed. "I really didn't want to put you through any of that. It just seemed like the fastest and easiest way to get Proteus back in his cell where he belongs."

"Is he alive?" she asked casually.

Taurus nodded. "Pretty singed, but other than that he's fine. We've also placed force fields around every nook and cranny of his cell this time, so he won't have any chance of getting out."

"Yeah?" Cassy said sarcastically.

Taurus then looked straight into her eyes. "By the way," he said. "I really like you, too."

Cassy blushed brighter than she had the whole month, as she remembered the words she had said to him when she thought he was dying.

'Ohhh God,' she thought.

Taurus reached out and took her hand. "It's very sweet of you to feel this way," he said, making Cassy want to shrink up and die.

"I know, I know," Cassy said hurriedly, wanting to get this over and done with quickly. "I'm too young for you, and even if I was the right age, we're just friends. And besides, I'm Human and you're a Minotaur, so it would never work out."

Taurus blinked at her and then smiled. "Well, you were right about the too young part… "He got up, and kissed her on her cheek.

Cassy looked up at him, shocked, as he walked out the room. As he reached the door, he turned back and grinned at her. "Call me in five years if you're still interested, and we'll set a date." He winked at her and then left.

Cassy sat still for a few minutes, staring blankly at where Taurus had previously stood. Then, slowly, a big huge grin began to appear all over her face.

To Be Continued… 


	3. Chapter 3

**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.**

_**All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.**_

_**This fic is set about three weeks after Storyseeker's fic "Love Shocks".**_

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New Olympus School:

Cassy sighed, as she walked through the doors from her school.

'Just once I would like to get through one day without being hassled,' she thought only slightly angry. There had been a time when she had come home crying nearly all the time and Manty had had to comfort her for hours. Now, after all the years spent living on New Olympus and all the hassles and repeated insults, she had finally grown accustomed to what they were like. It was almost casual to her now.

"Hey, Cass!"

Cassy turned and saw her Centaur friend, Cyan, galloping over towards her. She had had a free period and had got out early.

"Hey horse-girl," Cassy said joking, giving her a small hug. "Where's Cyc?"

Cyan rolled her eyes. "Getting a date, what else?"

"Ohhh boy," Cassy said, her head already aching. She had a feeling that there was going to be the sound of slapping hands, claws and hoofs tonight, all on Cyc's arrogant and cocky face.

"Where is he this time?" Cassy sighed.

"Outside the Unicorn's Diner," Cyan pointed over to the small restaurant around the corner.

Cassy followed her sight until her eyes rested on Cyc standing in front of the restaurant, looking as though he was waiting for someone, most likely them. He dropped something and bent over to pick it up.

Cassy stared at him a moment, but aside from smiling at the passing females and the occasional flex of his muscles; he didn't seem to be flirting in his usual style of arrogance and vanity.

Cyc dropped something again and reached down to pick it up.

'Have to admit, he's got a cute butt if anything else,' she thought, smiling slightly. She then noticed Cyan's expression and looked at her, puzzled.

"What is it?" she asked, as Cyan's face was sneering at the huge Cyclops.

"What do you mean 'what is it?'" Cyan said. "Can't you see what he's doing?"

Cassy looked again, but nothing seemed to be amiss, aside for the fact that he seemed to have got very clumsy at holding his things lately, as he had dropped something again.

Cyan sighed. "All right, here." She pointed to a young pretty girl with yellow skin and fiery red hair. "Watch her walk past Cyc and don't take your eyes off him while she does."

Cassy looked at her a little bewildered, but shrugged and observed the girl, as she made her way down the road, past the Diner.

Cyc noticed her, but instead of immediately pumping himself up and flexing every muscle he could find, as was his usual style. He casually turned around and dropped whatever it was he was holding again and bent over to pick it up.

Cassy eyes went wide and she blinked, understanding now. "You've' got to be kidding me?"

Cyan half-smirked. "Believe it, girl. He says the first thing that every guy or girl look at when they're looking for some, is their ass."

Cassy snorted. "And lemme guess? Because he's got the hottest ass on the island, he'll be sure to have any girl he wants?"

Cyan laughed. "Close' He actually said his was the hottest in the entire world."

Cassy laughed too. "God, that guy is so un-friggin-believeable. Where the hell does he learn all this stuff?"

"From his cousin, apparently," Cyan answered her. "He seems to get all his girl advice from him."

"Oh yeah," Cassy frowned as she tried to remember. "Cyc mentioned him a couple of times, what was his name... Orion?"

"Orinaeus," Cyan corrected her. "Guy's the biggest flirt on all of New Olympus. He's the bouncer at that club called the River Styx. Guy even tried flirting with me, can you believe it?"

Cassy nodded, the memories returning. She had never been to the River Styx, but then again she hardly went out at all. She preferred to keep indoors, as that way no one could hurt her. Despite being used to all the harsh, racist comments and abuse that she had grown accustomed to, she still feared for her safety when venturing out alone, especially at night. Manty, Cyc and Cyan had all tried to get her to come out with them, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"He's also a stripper, I think." Cyan frowned, as she tried to remember. "Can't be sure though, as we're not allowed in those kind of clubs. It wouldn't surprise me though, as the guy's even more vain, cocky and arrogant than Cyc, if you can believe that. The most that he's ever worn is a pair of shorts."

Cassy raised her eyebrows. "Let me take a wild guess at this one," she said. "He's the one who told Cyc, 'when you've got a bod as hot as this, why make all the women suffer by covering it up?'"

Cyan half-smirked. "You got it. And incidentally, if you ever wonder what Cyc might be like in years from now, then just go the River Styx and meet Orinaeus and you'll get your answer."

Cassy shook her head and watched, as Cyc seemed to take his sweet time in picking up the item that he had dropped. He actually moved his hips a little to the left and right, like she had seen a man playing Golf does once, showing off his backside.

She looked at the yellow-skin girl and couldn't believe it, but she actually seemed to be falling for his trick. She was staring at his giant muscular behind very intensely, like how a bird-watcher would at a rare bird that had just flown into their back garden.

Cyc finally straightened up and turned around, pretending that he had just noticed her.

Cassy couldn't hear what was being said from so far away, but it didn't take a genius to know what was going on. The girl giggled while Cyc fell into his usual style of 'picking up,' as he called it and leaned over to let her feel his bulging biceps.

Cassy rolled her eyes again and Cyan shook her head in mock disbelief.

"You know what's even more pathetic," she said, a little disbelieving.

"What's that?" Cassy replied.

"It's that this cheap trick of his actually works sometimes."

Cassy would've have said something to counter this, but seeing as she had mentally complimented Cyc on his posture just recently, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

Cyan nearly blanched, as she saw Cyc lead the girl inside the diner.

"Looks like Cyc is alright for tonight," Cassy observed.

Cyan grumbled. "Girl's obviously a few feathers short of a Harpy."

Cassy laughed and led her friend back to her place, as it was doubtful that Cyc was waiting for them anymore.

"You wait and see," Cyan said. "By the end of the week, there won't be a single Olympian who won't know what Cyc's butt looks like. Even if it was just this one girl, all it takes is one little victory and he'll be flunking his stuff everywhere."

"You sure you're not jealous?" Cassy said critically.

Cyan glared at her. "Of Cyc? Don't make me laugh!"

Cassy grinned. She knew Cyan liked Cyc more than she pretended to, which was a lot, but it would be a cold day in Hell when she would ever admit it. She had to admit that she rather liked Cyc too and if she were a few hundred feet taller and he'd learnt to keep his mouth shut for five seconds then she might be inclined to go out with him.

But the idea of going out with Cyc scared her a little. She knew right away that Cyc would never hurt her, as despite his rough and lustful nature, he had a heart of gold and rarely got into fights. However, when you had heard the stories of what his race had done to humans in the past…

Cassy shuddered.

Despite what all New Olympians had led her to believe that Humans were the oppressors, who had driven them away, she had soon come to realise that no one was as innocent as they claimed to be.

It had been the day when she had gone to visit Cyc at his house for the first time ever. He and she were in the same History class together and since hardly anyone was eager to partner up with a human for their project, the two of them had got stuck together.

She had gone to his house to study and met his family, which basically consisted of just him and his father whose name was Brontes. When she first saw him, she had nearly screamed, as he looked exactly like Proteus had when he turned into a Cyclops.

The reason being, Brontes had said with regret, was because he had known Proteus back in his childhood. They had grown up together and had once been close, but as they neared maturity, Proteus began to grow more and more obsessed with leaving the island, exploring the outside world, which is strictly forbidden.

Brontes had tried to talk him out of it and had even suggested counselling for him, but Proteus was adamant in his decision to leave and was resentful of him to not support him.

It was then that Brontes had had to make the hardest decision of his life, whether to uphold the law or betray his best friend. In the end, he chose the law and informed the late chief of security, Asterion, Taurus's father, about what Proteus was planning to do.

Asterion had gone down to the beach where Proteus was hiding a small hovercraft that he had managed to steal and was planning to leave on. Asterion tried to stop him, but by then Proteus had lost his mind. It didn't take a genius to know who had squealed on him to the cops and when Proteus learned his best friend had done it, he went nuts and attacked the chief.

Brontes had gone quiet for a moment then before answering and said that by the time reinforcements had arrived, Asterion was already dead, and Proteus was thrown into custody and has been there ever since. He had gone to see him once or twice, but needless to say that Proteus wasn't fond of his company, so eventually he stopped going.

There had been another awkward silence after that, but Brontes seemed to shake it off and started talking cheerfully to them, asking what did a nice girl like her want with two handsome studs like him and his boy and began showing his biceps.

Cassy had groaned, seeing where Cyc had got all of his male machoism from.

The story had been disconcerting, but that wasn't the one that had freaked her out. It was the one that Cyc had told her later on, when they were studying in his room.

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**Cyc's Room; Three weeks ago: **

"I don't even know why I took up history in the first place," Cassy said aggravated, as she skimmed through three of the seven books they had to study. "All the history books seem to say the same thing. Humans nearly wiped out the Centaurs, humans tortured the Minotaur, humans did this and humans did that. It's like there's nothing, but human bashing in their history books."

Cyc, instead of studying, was lying back on his huge bed, pumping a large heavyweight that was as big as a tree-log. His room was massive and big enough to hold two large trucks. Because of their large size and stature, Cyclops' lived on the outskirts of the city in large houses, built adequately for their needs.

He looked at his human friend in mock sympathy. "Awww," he cooed at her. "What's the matter, gorgeous? Feeling the burn of studying, getting too much for you?"

Cassy growled under her breath. "Don' go there, Cyc!"

"How's about you come lie down over here?" he patted a place on the bed with his foot, right next to his hip. "I bet I can help you to relax." He growled playfully at her.

Cassy just gave him a curious look. "What is it with you, Cyc? Every time that I'm with you or even when Cyan and me are with you, you feel the need to try your very best at flirting with us. You're the same with every damn woman…err female on the island."

Cyc shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a chick magnet."

"More like a chick repellent," Cassy snorted. "Every time you get near a girl, it isn't long before we either see her walking away, or hear her calling for security."

"Hey!" Cyc pushed her with his foot and Cassy fell down, gagging.

"UGH!" she pretended choking. "When's the last time you washed your feet, Big Foot? Last century?"

"Watch who you're calling Big Foot, shrimp," Cyc laughed. "Or I'll give you a real close up on why they call me The Stomper."

They both laughed for a bit and then quietened down.

Cassy wiped a small tear from her eye and then sighed. "But you have to admit, there is an awful lot of human bashing in these books," she said, pointing to the books. "I always knew that my race had a lot to answer for, even before I came to New Olympus. I mean, there's pollution, species of animals that we had made extinct, hunting and poaching, crime and a million other things." She sighed again, this time a little tearfully. "But I never imagined that my kind had done so much evil before. Half of what's in this one book is enough to give me nightmares for the rest of my life."

Cyc looked at his little friend, unsure of what to do. He hated it when people got emotional because he never knew what to say or do. However in this case, he did know something that could help, but the only problem was it was against not only the rules of his family, but by every other Olympian in the island.

"You know," he began hesitantly. "You shouldn't believe everything you read, Cassy. I mean, these books were all written by New Olympians, so if they were anything like we are today then chances are they would have been pretty discriminating and exaggerated a bit by overdoing the human bashing, as you call it."

Cassy sniffed. "Maybe, but I remember how my folks used to always complain about the crime rate and another rainforest that had been destroyed and such. I wouldn't put it past them. My race just has no conscious."

"Cassy, wait," Cyc sighed and took a deep breath. "Maybe a lot of what's in those books is true, but I know this… It's not the _whole_ truth."

Cassy looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Cyc sighed and rubbed his hand over his head. "Look, I'm not really supposed to tell you this, but… Well, I can't have you going all sobbing on me. Cyan would kill me."

"Tell me what?" Cassy said confused. "What are you talking about?"

Cyc got up and walked to his door, checking outside if anyone was near or listening. "Look, what I'm about to tell you. Promise me you won't tell anyone I told you, okay?"

"Umm, sure." Cassy said. "But why all the secrecy?" She suddenly got a little nervous. "You're not in anything illegal are you?"

"Oh no," Cyc reassured her. "Nothing like that. It's not exactly against the law, but it's not really supposed to be talked about. At least, not in public…or actually, not really at all." He took a deep breath and then sat back down on the bed, looking at her directly. "Cassy, haven't you ever wondered why you rarely see any of my race around New Olympus?"

"Huh?" Cassy said, wondering where this was going. "Umm, no, not really. I mean, this is the first time I've ever been out here to your home."

"Well the reason is because there's hardly any Cyclops here on the island." Cyc said, a little sadly. "At most, there's only about thirty to fifty in total."

Cassy blanched a little. "It's because of my race, isn't it?"

"No," Cyc began. "Well, I suppose in a way it is, but not the way you're thinking. Just listen." Cyc shuffled a bit on the bed and then gave one of his usual cocky grins. "Wanna sit on my lap for the story?"

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Just get to it, Cyc!"

"Okay," Cyc took on a more serious attitude again, which was exceedingly rare for him. "Well, the original reason why there were so few of my race was because there are rarely any female Cyclops' born. My own mother was a Harpy, hence why I'm so attracted to them."

Cassy's eyes bulged a little. "Your mother was a Harpy?" At Cyc's nod, she then asked. "Cyc, no offence, but you don't look anything like a Harpy, not one little bit."

Cyc shrugged. "It's because of my Cyclops genes, they're extremely dominant. There hasn't been a female Cyclops in my family for…oh, seven generations now. My great grandmother was Manticore like Manty was."

Cassy blinked and then shuddered. She wondered how they were even able to bear Cyclops babies. She knew Harpies were a lot tougher than they looked, but she didn't think that even they would be able to give birth to something as huge as a Cyclops would.

As if sensing her thoughts, Cyc said. "In case you're wondering, Cyclops babies are actually quite small when they're born. Not small to you humans, in fact I think they would tear you right up like a wet paper tissue…"

Cassy cringed.

"…But to most Olympians, they're quite endurable." Cyc paused and rubbed his nose. "However, that didn't stop my race."

Cassy stopped and looked at him, wondering what he meant by that.

Cyc rubbed the back of his head, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Like I told you, most of what you've read in these books is true, if a little exaggerated. However, they're NOT the whole truth." He took another breath. "Cyclops joined the rest of the old Olympians when they came here to live on the island because most of their kind had been wiped out by the humans."

At Cassy's sad face, he quickly added. "But trust me; it was not without cause…" He started to tell his tale…

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**Ancient Greece;**

**About 2100 years ago: **

_Helen, daughter of Diana, doused some water onto the coals to heat the house. It was a cold night, in the middle of winter. She breathed in the hot steam from the fireplace and rubbed her arms with its condensation._

_She looked over to where her newly wedded husband was sitting, anxiously awaiting his evening meal. _

_His name was Acacius, son of Achaicus, and was a hunter like his father and forefathers before him. He had a strong and lean body, forged from years of hunting and fighting, and he bore a noble set face that he wore with a grim look of determination at all times, bringing fear to all. Most people who first saw him were wise enough to be afraid of him, as many said that his face had the power to bring able warriors to their knees. _

_Helen however knew better. Despite the grim look that his face often gave, she could always see beyond that, by looking into his eyes. Despite the look he gave, the light that shone from his eyes always filled her with love and security, making her feel safe and wanted for as long as he was with her. He was a valued hunter, brave and dedicated to protecting her and their people. _

_Although only a hunter, Acacius was also an able fighter, and was often called upon by the warriors to help them hunt down and destroy the monsters that were threatening their village. _

_About a year ago, their village had received word from one of the nearby cities, warning them that the creatures that lived near them had rebelled and were constantly attacking them, leaving no survivors. Although the beasts had yet to make an attack on their home, the village elders didn't want to take any chances and thus had sent all their warriors to track them down and eliminate as many as they possibly could. _

_It had been over a year now. The monsters still hadn't made any attack on them, but many believed the reason was because of their brave and noble warriors, Acacius among them, who had obviously frightened them away, scaring them to the hills. _

_Helen's heart was full of pride for her beloved. Their marriage had been arranged at birth, although Acacius was almost a decade older than her, but Helen would have married him anyway, whether or not they weren't. When they were young, they had started out as friends, but over time that friendship had grown into love. He was the bravest, and most handsome man of the village, and she the most beautiful. _

_Helen was a bit unusual as, unlike other Greek woman, her skin was much fairer than ordinary, almost as pale as Hecate's moon itself. However, her white skin made her stand out from all the other women, and when combined with her lithe form, large rounded breasts, ebony black hair, and dark thin eyes, it gave her an exotic look that many of the men found enticing. All through her life, she had had men crowding around her, attempting to court her, until at last her betrothal to Acacius was revealed, and all the men backed away, fearful of his wrath. _

_Helen smiled again, as to her it seemed like her life had now reached perfection. She was married to her beloved, the most envied and praised man in the village, and with a home of her very own. _

_The house that they now lived in, did in fact belong to Acacius's family. It was a small, crude little building of stone and wood that consisted of two main rooms, their bedroom and their kitchen. The family had lived in the same house now for over three generations, so it was traditional that the first son would always inherit it. _

_Although Helen was more than happy with the way the house was, Acacius insisted that he would one day add more rooms to it. "To ensure room for our little ones," he had said, winking at her, making her blush, but with happiness. She did hope that they would have a child soon, an heir for her husband's proud legacy. _

_She poured some wine into a cup, and sliced some bread to go with the stew she had made, and brought it to him. _

"_Your meal, husband." She handed him his dinner, which he took gratefully, smiling at her and planting a kiss on her delicate lips. _

"_My love," he whispered. "You treat me too good." _

_Helen smiled. "It is nothing compared to what you do for all our people, day after day, husband. You risk your life to track down and destroy those horrible monsters and all of their unholy kind." _

_In truth, she didn't really want her husband to hunt those creatures anymore. True, he did it to protect them, and his fame as one of the best hunters made her one of the most envied wives in the village, but she feared for him so, as there had been a few unexplained disappearances lately. Although no one knew for sure what had happened to them, many believed the creatures were responsible, as the ones missing were the warriors and their families. _

_Her husband's smile grew even larger at her praise, so she smiled back at him, not showing her unease. He looked as though he was about to say something, but before he could answer her, a shudder went through the whole house. _

"_What in the…?" Helen began, but stopped when the shudder happened again. "What is it?" she shrieked, as the house shook once more. "An earth-shaker?" _

_Her husband didn't answer, but merely listened to the loud noise that sounded like thunder, occupying the shuddering of the earth. He felt the ground and confirmed his suspicions. If this was an earth-shaker, then it was one that was getting closer. _

"_We must flee!" he said hurriedly and grabbed his wife, pulling her with him. _

"_What's happening?" Helen asked in panic, but her husband didn't answer and flung open the door, running out into the dark night. But someone was already outside waiting for them. _

_Helen screamed and her husband blanched at the sight, as he stared up and up AND up at the frightening sight. _

_A huge Cyclops stood tall above them, as high as the temple of Zeus itself, seemingly built entirely out of muscle with long white hair and an equally long white beard, his one eye glaring at the male human. _

_Helen was frozen with fear. The monster seemed to have a terrifying aura around him, so terrifying that she swore she could hear a high screeching noise that seemed to surround him. _

"_Probably the ghosts of his victims," she thought. _

"_Little man," the Cyclops hissed at Helen's husband. "I am here to settle a score." He took one step further, making the ground shake as he did so. "You murdered my little brother while he was asleep, not even daring to face him in combat. You turned all our remaining human allies against us, had my father hunted down and slain like a dog!" He took another step closer. "I come now, to avenge them!" _

"_They merely got what they deserved!" Helen's husband retorted. "What all your kind deserves!" _

_The Cyclops glared at the man with what could only be described as all the hatred in the world, all in his one eye. "I'll show you what we deserve!" roared the giant. He came forth and grabbed the human in his huge hand. _

"_Aaagh!" the man screamed, as he was crushed by the Cyclops immense strength. _

_Poor Helen was still so transfixed by the massive build of the creature, and filled with so much fear that her mind couldn't even fully acknowledge what was happening. She just stood where she was, as she watched her beloved husband being crushed to death. _

_The Cyclops grinned nastily at the human. "Now you will see what it is to have the fury of a Cyclops on you!" He took his free hand and engulfed the tiny human's head. _

"_Aaagh!" the man screamed and then fell silent, as the Cyclops began twisting his head; he twisted and twisted with glee, as Helen looked on in horror. Snapping could be heard, as the man's vertebrae broke apart like twigs in the mighty Cyclops' grasp. And then in one yank, the Cyclops pulled off the man's head. _

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"Oh God! You can't be serious! That Cyclops did that? It sounds like he pulled off that guy's head like a Barbie doll." Cassy looked at Cyc in horror.

"Cass! You're kind of ruining the mood. I'm telling the story here." Cyc glared at her with his eye.

"Oh, sorry."

"What's a Barbie by the way?"

"Cyc! Just get on with the story!"

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_The Cyclops laughed with insane glee. "I have destroyed this human!" his loud voice boomed. _

_Helen moved back a few steps, her mind still uncomprehending. Her movements attracted the Cyclops hearing, and he looked at her, seemingly noticing her for the first time. _

"_Well, well," he grinned. "It looks like my efforts have won me a prize." He went to grab Helen._

_Helen's mind seemingly caught up with her at long last, and she ran as fast as her feet could carry her, but the Cyclops easily outdistanced her on his much longer legs. His foot came down on her and pinned her down to the ground, preventing her escape. _

_Helen screamed and tried to twist her way from beneath the large behemoth's foot, as he grinned down at her, but to no avail. _

_As she struggled, she continued hearing the loud screeching sound that she had assumed for the wind. Only, now that she was closer to the Cyclops, she could hear it more clearly. She paused briefly in her struggle and looked up at the one-eyed monster, as that was where the sound was coming from. She took one look and froze. _

_The creature was wearing a thin loincloth that barely covered any of its masculinity, but that was not all that he wore. Hanging around his loincloth, were several young human women._

_She could only make out their faces, as they had all been wrapped up in bandages, like how the Egyptians took care of their dead. They had all been wrapped up tightly, and tied to the Cyclops's loincloth, hanging from its belt. They were obviously still alive, as they were thrusting about, trying in vain to escape their bonds. They looked just like mice, when held up by their tails. _

_Obviously, this Cyclops had visited other houses before coming to hers. She counted five women dangling from the Cyclops's belt, at the front, but she didn't doubt that there were others, as she could hear more screaming from behind the creature. _

_Helen was so fixated on the horror of what she was seeing, she didn't notice that the beast's foot had moved lower down, and one of its big toes was rubbing her in-between her legs._

_Helen screamed and tried once again to flee, but he deftly scooped up the screaming maiden. "Ahhh! Let me go!" she yelled._

_The Cyclops simply laughed, acting as if he hadn't heard her. "Well this has been an eventful night tonight! Two birds with one stone! I get my revenge, and an extra prize!" _

_Helen screamed again, struggling as the Cyclops passed his hands over her. _

"_But don't worry, girl." He smirked. " I promise you that I will be gentle." His huge beefy hands began to delicately undo her clothes. _

"_No, no, please stop," moaned Helen, as her clothes fell away and she felt the Cyclops squeeze and fondle her body._

_The Cyclops laid her naked body flat onto the dirt ground once again. With one hand, he held her down over the torso. He looked at her in great consternation. "Hmm, I really should wait until I get back. Not really supposed to do anything with you till I get back and show you to the others…" He paused, and then shrugged. "Ah, what the Tartarus! One time won't hurt anyone." _

_He continued his assault of her body. "Hmm, you are awfully small." He fingered her sex. "Ah, how interesting, you are still pure." He grinned at her playfully. "Well, it honours me to be the first." _

_Helen bit back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. _

_The beast took his forefinger and middle finger, and slowly inserted them into her body. His fingers took a rhythmic motion, as he thrust them in and out of her body. Helen tried, but failed to bite back a moan of pleasure, as the Cyclops kept up his rhythm. _

_The Cyclops' grin widened. "Like that I see… Let's see what you think of this…" He took his fingers out of her body and then used his hand to spread her legs far apart. He lowered his head to Helen's sex. She let out a dismayed cry, as the Cyclops used his tongue, flicking her clitoris. She bucked her body against his hand, as she grunted in pleasure. _

"_By Zeus, creature, stop it! Have pity!" Helen moaned and bucked in the Cyclops grasp, as pleasure and ecstasy went through her body like waves. _

"_Woman, you don't know the half of what I can do to you," the Cyclops smirk evident, "but now…" he moved the front part of his loincloth aside, taking care not to drop the women that were attached to it, and exposed his huge member to the human woman. _

_Helen's eyes widened. "I can't possibly take in all of that!" screamed the woman. _

"_I don't intend you to." the Cyclops chuckled. He bent down on his knees and with his huge forefinger and middle finger; he carefully spread apart her legs, as far as he could without injuring her. He moved on his knees next to her. Already he was hard with desire. _

"_Now keep your legs like that, human." He instructed her in what was intended to be a harsh tone, but came out as a pleasure filled groan, and he entered what he could into her. _

_Helen screamed, as she felt the tip of the monster's member enter her, its huge size almost splitting her apart. He only got in a fraction of himself into her when he thankfully stopped, and took his hand to begin pumping his shaft with. _

_Seeing as he couldn't have his full fill of the woman, he had to use alternatives for his obvious size difference. His pleasure-filled groan filled his ears. He also kept busy, using his other hand to hold and caress the woman's sex, as he heard her moan of pleasure. _

_Helen screamed, as she felt the tip of the Cyclops member, as big as a toddler's head, pumping inside of her. She could feel blood and semen seeping out of her, trickling down the sides of her legs, as it jumped and wiggled about inside of her opening. All through the while, she kept shouting into her mind, hysterically, 'This isn't real! This isn't real! I'm not here, I'm back home with Acacius! Tonight's our wedding night! He'll protect me! He'll protect me! He'll…"_

_Soon the Cyclops could feel his climax coming… "Oh, I'm going to…aaagh!" He screamed in ecstasy, as loads upon load of his fluids shot out, drenching the woman. The Cyclops closed his eye in ecstasy, as he let the rest of his load shoot onto Helen. By now, the woman was covered from head to foot in his semen. She remained still as a statue, alive but not moving. _

_He cleaned himself up a bit and then readjusted his loincloth. With great care, he took the woman gently in his hand, removed a length of cloth from his belt, and began wrapping her up, like he had done the others. Pretty soon, he had her all bundled up, like a mummy, and with the remaining bit of cloth that was left at her feet, he tied the end to his loincloth and left her dangling like the others, right at his backside. _

"_Now let us see if my work bears fruit." He said, as he turned around and began making his way home, walking over the now decomposing body of Helen's late husband, and murderer of his family. Its head lay several metres away from its body, its dull lifeless eyes gazing at nothing, as the thunderous footsteps of his killer echoed away into the distance. _

_A while later, Helen could feel the thunderous steps of the Cyclops stop. The rolling waves she heard told her that they must be near the seashore. She heard the large beast yell out. A moment later, someone with a large booming voice, presumably another Cyclops, called out in return. And then she felt herself swaying once again, still wrapped up and secured on the beast's loincloth. _

_She heard screaming from the other girls, and then she felt the cloth holding her be pulled from the Cyclops loincloth. They were all placed down on the floor, and then light filled Helen's eyes as the bandage like bonds were cut from her face and then her body. She saw another girl, dressed in scantily clad silk, cutting the bonds of the other woman. Her arms and legs had been shackled. The despairing cries filled Helen's ears._

_Helen quietly went up to the girl, and quickly took the crooked dagger from her hands… "No!" The slave girl yelled, as Helen took the dagger and launched it at the Cyclops' eye._

_Unfortunately, it sunk into his meaty forearm, as he blocked it… The Cyclops looked at the dagger disinterestedly, as the injury was like if a person had got a small splinter, a simple annoyance but nothing more. A flow of blood flowed from the wound, one that would be a life threatening injury to a human, as it was leaking litres, but it was nothing more than a mere small trickle to the beast. _

"_That was not nice," the Cyclops said amused. He bent down low so that he was on eye level to all of them… "Now, why don't we have some fun!" _

_The last thing Helen saw was his huge hand coming forth._

_**9 months later...**_

_Helen screamed in agony. "Aagh!" Her stomach swollen to gigantic standards, she bared down on the thing that wanted to come out of her, the Cyclops looking on in earnest and excitement._

"_Come on, girl! You can do it!" The giant encouraged._

"_AH! No, no, stop. I can't anymore!" The woman shook her head in despair and fury at the creature before her, as she lay on her side. The baby was so huge, her stomach was stretched beyond all proportion. She had had to lie on her side for several months now because otherwise it would have crushed her. _

_She had been this beast's prisoner now for nine months. After raping her, he had brought her and the other women, whom he had had with him, to his home…his and what was left of the Cyclops race apparently. She had now spent most of those nine months with all of her fellow prisoners in a large cage, like rats. _

"_You must, that is my offspring you are carrying, and it must live!" The Cyclops growled. _

"_But I feel that it is tearing me apart!" She looked at him through tear-streaked eyes, pleading for help and mercy._

"_Then it will tear you apart, but he must live." He looked at her grimly. "He will be in part reparation for what your kind did to mine."_

"_Nononononono!" Helen looked on in horror at the cave where she was being held… She was not alone. From the looks of it, she could see several Cyclops with several human women, also in labour, like her, giving birth to more monstrosities. _

_She looked at the floor and immediately felt like vomiting on herself… Behind the Cyclops before her, was a dead infant Cyclops that mustn't have survived the birth. The dead creature looked nothing like a human, yet she knew it had to have come from a human mother, as although she had seen many Cyclops, she had never seen any Cyclops women. There was also one other important detail… if this baby was indeed newborn, then it was the size of a six-year-old human child! _

_That was when she knew it; the monstrosity in her was going to kill her. She could feel the abomination clawing at her abdomen, waiting to get out. This thing that had been growing in her was much more active than what she suspected a human babe to be._

"_Aaagh!" She screamed, as she felt a huge shape pass through her loins. _

_She looked up to the roof of the cave she was in, wishing she could see the stars. "Acacius my love," she prayed to her lover, "I will be with you soon." _

_The Cyclops eye widened in excitement, as he saw his son's head pass through the woman's loins, it screamed as it let itself be known that it wanted out… Its one eye was closed, as the baby struggled against his mother. _

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggh!" Helen's blood curdling scream brought the Cyclops out of his daze. He stared in shock, as he saw what the baby was doing… The child, impatient to see the world, was using its strength to open up the woman more, to accommodate its larger frame. He could hear bones cracking and blood gushing from the woman, as the child's struggles intensified. It screamed its defiance to the world, as it was slowly pulling itself out of her. _

_The Cyclops winced, as he saw a tear opening up in the woman's abdomen as the baby's legs started to kick out. _

_With erratic violent motions, the Cyclops babe was pulling itself out of her womb and into the world. Soon the woman's cries became gurgles, as blood started to seep out from her mouth. Her shiny lifeless eyes were expressionless. _

_The Cyclops went to the still struggling baby and pulled it out from his mother's body. He cradled the baby in his one hand. It was small by his kind's standards, perhaps large for a human (the baby would be about fifteen pounds) but its size would eventually rise in years to come, and what it lacked in size now was made up for in its strength. At childbirth, Cyclops babies were very active. _

_The Cyclops looked at what was left of the woman before him and then at his son, cradled in his hand. "Oh my boy, what have you done?" He whispered mournfully. "What have we both done?" _

_Then he shook his head furiously and held his son closer to him. "NO!" he said adamantly. "We did nothing. You were merely trying to get into the world, as all babies do and I… I did what all Cyclops were doing, to save our race and ensure our future. The humans brought this on themselves. They killed most of our people, butchered our kind simply because we were different from them. They were the ones who started this, not us!" But try as he might, each word sounded hollow, even to his ears. _

_He slowly bent down and picked up the dead body of Helen and dropped it over on a pile where there were more women corpses waiting to be disposed of. He then turned around and walked away, briefly looking at the activities going on around him. _

_A huge fat Cyclops was sitting on the floor, getting washed and scrubbed by dozens of human women who, by the looks on their faces, were obviously doing it against their will. The big Cyclops grinned, licking his lips, as he forced a young woman in-between his legs, with her struggling all the way. _

_Other pregnant women were even now screaming and crying, as their children came into the world and tearing them up, as his son had done to Helen. Some were even now being impregnated as he listened, hearing the screams and grunts coming from the next cave. _

_From nearby, at the corner of the cave, a small group of young Cyclops were laughing, as they drank heavily to some wine from huge goblets. They had to be celebrating to the number of women they had each taken that night, as they all had several women hanging from their loincloths. One of them was playing a crude, but playful tune on a pair of massive drums, while the others danced along to the tune, shaking their hips and swaying the terrified and dizzy women all over the place. _

_Many of them noticed him and the baby he was carrying, and congratulated him on the birth, not even bothering to ask after its mother. _

_The Cyclops didn't feel like himself right now. All the activities that were going on around him, he had done those quite a few times himself, ever since he had brought his first batch of human females to this cave. He had loved doing the kind of things that were going on, and had enjoyed them immensely. That was… until he had just witnessed the first of what was to be the many births of his children. _

_He finally past by several wooden cages, which were all filled with crying hysterical women. Some were not pregnant…yet, and gazed up at him in fear. Each cage and all the women in it, belonged to a single Cyclops. He stopped at the cage that was his and peered in, scaring the prisoners inside. They were all pregnant now. Some were due in less than a week, or even a few days. _

"_Won't be long now for you, my lovely," he said to a dark-haired beauty, referring to her state, frightening her. His words came out hollow however and he made no attempt at any of his usual jokes. He simply stared ahead blankly and carried his son to his private chambers. _

_For some reason, he wasn't looking forward to the births of his other children as much as he had done his first one, anymore. He fingered his pendant… A large ruby that he had taken after he killed a powerful ruler of a nearby city._

_The baby started to cry, as though calling out for someone, someone who wouldn't ever be coming. _

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Cyc finished his tale with a long sigh and looked at Cassy, who stared at him in shock and bewilderment.

"How…" She stuttered out. "How…could…"

Cyc looked at her with regret in his eye. "It was thousands of years ago, Cassy. Cyclops' were still a primitive people back then, no more than barbarians. Our race was suddenly faced with extinction, and they had no one to turn to, nor any advanced technology or anything to help them. There wasn't even an Olympus back then… They just didn't know what to do, so they did what they thought they had to."

Cyc was beginning to look ill. "Believe me, there isn't a Cyclops today who isn't disgusted every time when they hear that story, particularly me, because…" He paused for a moment. "…Because despite believing that what he had done was for the survival of our race, he never raped another human woman again, and he never forgot Helen or any of the other women he raped. The story has been past down for generations, as my ancestor never wanted us to forget it. And finally, about half a century later, the humans all rallied together with other empires to try and run the Cyclops out of the country. Needless to say they succeeded, and the Cyclops' were forced to come here to New Olympus with the other Olympians."

Cassy stayed silent for a few more moments. Up till now she had firmly believed in the stories the teachers had told her, that all of their kind had been mistreated and wronged by her kind. Now, she found that they had left out keen facts that debated the human, Olympians situation. She was confused and even more so…she was angry.

"THEY LIED TO ME!" she half-screamed.

Cyc shook his head and rested his hand on her shoulder to calm her. "No. I told you that what they told you was the truth about what the humans had done. It's just that they left out some things as well."

Cassy still wasn't convinced. "Why didn't they tell me the whole truth then? Why did they leave out all the stuff that the Cyclops had done?"

Cyc sighed again. "It…wasn't just the Cyclops either, Cassy."

Cassy stared at him. "Say what?"

Cyc felt his throat getting tight. "There were…some other Olympians back then, who were…also…not so innocent."

Cassy glared at him. "Like who? Or what, should I say?"

Cyc swallowed. "Well, most Olympians were good and peaceful creatures except for a few species like mine and…I don't know all of them, but I do know one of them was the Centaurs."

"The Centaurs," Cassy said in surprise. "You mean Cyan's race?" At Cyc's nod, she continued. "But I always thought, and was told that Centaurs had always been a highly honourable and peaceful race."

"Oh, they were," Cyc said, "when they were sober."

"Sober?"

Cyc rubbed his forehead. "Centaurs were usually all that you just said, about being noble, honourable and all that. However, because of their animal halves, they were more prone to drink that most creatures. All it would take to get a Centaur drunk, even today, is one glass of wine, hence the reason why Centaurs are not allowed to drink alcohol nowadays."

Cyc looked uncomfortable. "There were many incidents involving the Centaurs from what I've been told. Once they got roaring drunk then nothing could stop them. They ransacked villages, kidnapped and raped all the women, and destroyed nearly everything in sight. Their ancestors were very nearly left behind when they came to New Olympus because they feared what they would do, should they get drunk here, so they made it against the law for Centaurs to drink any alcohol."

Cassy was beginning to understand her kind's hatred for these people. "And there were others?" she asked.

Cyc nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know who the others were. We don't talk about this at all. At school, we're taught about all the bad stuff that humans did to us, but it's only at home when we get told why they did it. Our parents only tell us it once and we're not to discuss it with anyone. Cyan broke that little rule when she told me about her race."

Cassy blanched, as she tried to imagine a Cyclops like Cyc and a horde of Centaurs attacking cities and raping girls like her. She imagined Cyc raping her and shuddered.

"So why have you told me?" she asked finally.

Cyc looked at her with true sorrow in his eyes. "Because I couldn't bear to let you live, thinking that you belonged to a race of monsters. The truth is that although the humans did do some pretty bad stuff to all of us, it wasn't their entire fault. At the very beginning…some humans got a little pissy at some Olympians, we don't know who, and they in turn attacked the humans, and that got them scared and made them mad of all the other Olympian races."

"So they decided to fight back," Cassy whispered. "They got mad because they didn't like the way some Olympians fought back, so they decided to wipe them all out, including the ones that didn't do them any harm…including yours, which led to your race doing what they did."

Cyc paused a moment, and then sighed. "They were scared, both my race and yours, and people do crazy things when they're afraid."

Cassy had to agree with that, as she remembered how she had run off from Manty and Taurus after she first came to New Olympus. Now she couldn't imagine life without them.

"But why are people so afraid of the truth?"

Cyc shrugged. "They're not afraid exactly, but I guess they've lived so long with the belief that they were the victims that to suddenly realise that they may have been the oppressors, doesn't sit too well with them."

Cassy frowned. "Doesn't seem like anyone was the oppressors to me," she wondered out loud. "The Cyclops and Centaurs all did some pretty horrible things, so maybe the humans did have a right to fight them back, but that still gave them no right to attack _all_ of the Olympians."

Cyc shrugged again. "Maybe or maybe not, either way it doesn't really matter anymore. It's been centuries so what can you do?"

Cassy turned her head and looked hard at him, making Cyc feel real uneasy.

"I'm going to tell the truth," she said simply.

Cyc didn't say anything else, even after she had left. He knew his friend would carry out what she meant to. Frankly, he didn't blame her.

He stayed in his room for a few hours and wouldn't come out, even after his father came in to ask if he was all right. Cyc had just told him politely that he was, and he was just tired.

After a while longer, he got up and went into his father's room. Looking around, he spied the old forgotten chest that they kept in the corner. Wordlessly, he picked it up and opened it. Reaching in, he pulled out the large ruby that had been in his family for generations, ever since the first of their family had taken it from a human king he had beaten in battle, and regarded it carefully.

"I wasn't lying, Cass." He muttered to himself. "Even after hearing the story a thousand times, it still makes me sick."

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**One Week Later: **

The next week went by fairly quickly, so quickly that it made Cassy feel nauseous. It was funny, Cassy thought, of how fast time went by when you're dreading something.

Cassy sat in her seat in the school. Cyc was at the back row way behind her. Cyc had of course not bothered in helping to do their history project, which wasn't new. His philosophy was that since he was destined to be God's gift to the female race, as well as a champion bouncer like his cousin, then what was the point in him learning history?

'Men,' she thought bemusedly. 'No matter what species they are, they're all the same.'

"Miss Williams!" a sharp voice directed her attention to the front where her teacher, Miss Athena, was waiting for her. It was time for her to do her presentation.

She looked back to Cyc, who was lying back on his seat with his arms behind his head, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world.

"What I wouldn't give to be as pig-headed and carefree as he is, right about now," she whimpered and made her way to the centre of the large platform at the foot of the stairs.

"Well, Miss Williams," Miss Neptune said crisply. "Are you ready to give your presentation?"

Cassy swallowed, and then nodded her head. Most children had enough problems with giving presentations in front of their classes, but how was a girl, who was in a class of over a hundred, supposed to survive?

She made her way to the bottom, and turned to see every eye of each child of New Olympus, glaring at her. All except for Cyc who was probably asleep by now, and Cyan who gave her two thumbs up for luck.

Cassy smiled and felt some of her courage return. "Everyone, my presentation today is about before the time when your kind arrived here on New Olympus, of the hardships that your kind endured from the humans, my people, before they finally escaped."

Cassy noticed some of the smirks on the other kid's faces when she explained about how 'her people' mistreated them. She paid them no heed though and carried on with her talk.

"I'd like to start with the Centaurs, and what led them to their terrible ordeal with the humans. According to my research, it all started around three thousand years ago when a group of Centaurs were invited to a wedding at their neighbouring human tribe, who were called the Lapiths. They were invited to sit at the host's table, and were offered food and drink. This, however, proved to be their downfall, as the drink they offered was nothing other than fine wine… "

0000000000

**Two Hours Later;**

**New Olympus Hospital: **

"She started a complete brawl in class!" the headmistress, Miss Neptune, shrieked at Manty, as he bathed Cassy's bruised head. "When she began talking about the Centaurs wild and lustful natures, the centaurs in the class went mad and accused her of insulting them by making it all up. I barely got them to calm down. Then Cassy went on to speak about the Cyclops, and two of them went completely berserk. They charged down the stairs and attempted to stomp on her. I tried to calm them, but by then they were beyond reason, and I had to call security!"

Manty sighed. "I understand your anger, Miss Neptune. But try and understand this from Cassy's point of view. She did what she thought was right, by telling her fellow classmates the truth about their races."

"And nearly getting killed in the progress!" she screeched.

Manty winced, but added more harshly. "Miss Neptune, you and I both know the truth of her words. So don't go pretending that they're not real!"

Miss Neptune's eyes flared at him, wanting very much to take that stupid Manticore by the mane and shake him upside down.

"What do you expect me to do, Manty?" she sneered. "Give her a good telling off and leave it at that? This isn't some trivial thing like flicking a stone at a Cyclops' foot, or tossing a piece of paper on the floor. She caused a riot, which ended up injuring several Olympians, including herself. I'm dreading what's going to happen when I get back to school and the parents find out. I'll be lucky to still have a job!"

Suddenly, Manty began to laugh loudly. "Oh boy, silly me!" he chuckled. "I am such an idiot!

Miss Neptune glared at him. "And what is _that _supposed to mean?"

"It means that I totally misunderstood you," Manty lost some of his humour and looked seriously at her. "I thought for one insane moment that the reason you became a teacher was to teach children by telling them the truth. Now I see I was wrong, stupid me."

Miss Neptune's eyes, had she been born a gargoyle, would be flaring bright red and ready to fling daggers at him. "How dare you! I spent years teaching those children all that they know, preparing them for the harsh realities of the real world…"

"Preparing them?" Now Manty really did laugh. "You've done nothing, but shelter them from the truth. Since they were little, you've had them all believing that their ancestors were all the victims that didn't do a thing wrong."

"Well it's true," she insisted. "At least my ancestors were."

"Maybe, but not all Olympians were. What Cassy said about the Cyclops and the Centaurs was true. They did commit some terrible atrocities in the past to the humans, and in turn the humans committed some equally bad atrocities to them. I'm not saying they were to blame, I'm just telling you that not all the human's hatred of us was totally unbiased."

Miss Neptune paused for a moment, opening and shutting her mouth like a fish from the sea she was named after.

"And what kind of a teacher are you," Manty continued, "If you don't teach your pupils the truth. You're sheltering them from the harsh reality that you said you were preparing them for. They believe whatever you tell them and if you tell them that our kind was at completely no fault then what chance does our kind ever have to reunite with the rest of the world? There'll be so much bigotry and violence, they'll be lucky if they last a week."

Cassy stirred and moaned, as she came to.

"If you'll excuse me." Manty turned back to his adopted daughter and stroked her forehead.

Miss Neptune stayed standing there for a while, before turning around and walking out the room. On the way, she bumped into Taurus and Boreas.

"My lord," she greeted Boreas. "Taurus." She nodded in respect at the chief of security.

Both of them nodded at her, and she went on her way, leaving them to continue into Cassy's room.

"Is she well?" Taurus asked genuinely concerned.

Manty turned in surprise at seeing Taurus and Boreas there. "Sir," he greeted both of them. "Yes, she's well. She's just woken up actually."

"Good," Taurus said and marched right up to her and from the way he did it; it was obvious he was not happy.

"What in blazes were you thinking?" he roared, making Cassy's ears ache. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"Taurus!" Manty snarled at him. "Please, Cassy is not seriously hurt, but she still needs her rest."

Taurus calmed down, but still glared at the little human, making Cassy wince.

Boreas however remained calm and looked at the little human with pity and somewhat sorrow. "Perchance, would you two give me a few moments alone with Cassandra?"

Taurus and Manty both nodded and left the room, still glaring at one another.

Boreas sat down in one of the holographic seats that manifested automatically when he entered the room, fitted for his comfort. "I understand you had quite an eventful day?" he asked her.

Cassy groaned and held the wet flannel to her head. "I don't remember much," she admitted. "I was doing my presentation, and then I remember some of the students getting angry at me, and then…then it all just goes blank."

Boreas gave her a sly look. "So I take it you didn't hear what Manty and your teacher Miss Neptune were discussing just a few moments ago, when you were pretending to be asleep?"

Cassy's eyes bulged and then she groaned again. "How is it that on an island as totally secret as this, no one can keep a secret on it?"

Boreas shrugged. "So, do you really not remember what happened?"

Cassy sighed. "Only up to the part when a couple of the Cyclops charged down from their seats at me. I figured that was how I got this bumper on my head."

"You assumed correctly," Boreas concurred and looked in pity at her. "You did both a very brave and a very foolish thing today, Miss Williams. What possessed you to tell a presentation like that?"

Cassy felt like curling up under the bed sheets. "I just wanted to tell a story that had neither my people nor yours as the bad guys. From what Cy…from what _I_ found out in my research, the humans in ancient Greece were frightened of you Olympians and then later some of the Olympians fuelled that fear by acting just as the monsters that people claimed they were."

Boreas sighed troubled. "Yes, I'm afraid what you say is true. I have heard the tales of the Cyclops, the Centaurs and even the Harpies who at one time were flesh-eaters and ate a whole ship full of human sailors."

Cassy blanched at this and Boreas held up his hand. "The Harpy ancestors were captured by a group of Bigot humans, who had them tied up and left to die on the rocks of a deserted island. They managed to break free eventually, but not until after a few days, by which they were starving and unable to control their hunger. As fate would cruelly have it, a ship of humans was passing by and the Harpies could not control themselves."

Cassy shuddered and winced quite visibly.

"Do not worry, child," Boreas assured her. "That time has now long since past. The first thing that our ancestors did when they first came to New Olympus was to find a way to control the radical behaviour of some of our more troublesome kin. The Harpies have long since learnt to control their hunger, even when starved, thanks to a potent drug that our kind developed centuries ago. It dampens the gene in every Harpy, killing their hunger for flesh. In effect, it turns them into vegetarians."

"Phew," Cassy swooned. "Thank God for that!"

Boreas laughed heartily. "I'm sure you're not the only who thinks that." He then took on a more serious look. "Did you understand fully the consequences of what you were doing?"

Cassy nodded sullenly.

Boreas sighed again, this time with some regret. "I'm afraid that as this island's protector, I have no choice but to suspend you from school for a week. After which you will return to school and carry on with your studies. Do you understand?"

Cassy nodded, staying silent.

Boreas got up to leave, but before he did, he took one last look at her and smiled. "Cassy, before I go, I want you to know that…I am extremely proud of what you did."

Cassy looked up in surprise at him.

"I know that must come as a big surprise considering that I just suspended you, but it's the truth nevertheless. Our kind needs to learn to live with humans again and they can't do that if they constantly cling onto the old beliefs without hearing or even acknowledging the full truth of what happened all those centuries ago. You are the first to have taken the first step in that acknowledgment, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you." And with that he left the room, leaving Cassy behind with a stunned, but happy look on her face.

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**Present: **

Cassy was fortunate, as Manty saw no reason why she should be punished for speaking her mind. The bump on the head, the scare that she had had, and the suspension from school for a week was all she needed.

Taurus however had been less than happy. He told Cassy straight out that if she ever did anything like that again, he would lock her up in a cell with Proteus and throw away the key.

Cyan and Cyc hadn't exactly been pleased with her project, but they were thankful she was all right.

"Where'd you get all that information about my race and everything by the way?" Cyan had asked. "I mean, that's not exactly common knowledge, how'd you get everything so detailed?"

Cassy remembered looking at Cyc, who had avoided her eyes and Cyan's. Eventually, she just replied, "I just read some stuff at the library and even got a few people to tell me some stories."

"Really? Who?"

Cassy shrugged. "Just some people I met on the street. I could tell you their names, but then…I'd have to kill you."

Cyan sneered at her. "Oh brother, you're not going all secret agent on us, are you?"

Cassy had sneered back and had made a brief look at Cyc, who had been staring at her with a large grateful look in his one eye.

Cyan observed the diner where Cyc and his new flame had gone into, before asking, "Say, you wanna come with us to the River Styx tonight?"

Cassy was about to say no, but before she could, Cyan grabbed her by the face and looked straight into her eyes. "Listen, this is your chance to get out. You needn't worry about the other kids because me and Cyc will be there…and unfortunately, so will Orinaeus." She shuddered.

"Do you have ANY idea of what it's like to have to deal with TWO Cycs? I mean, one is bad enough, but try having to deal with him, _and_ a fully grown version of him as well!"

Cassy rolled her eyes. "All the more reason why I…"

"Look!" Cyan was actually almost squeezing the blood out of her face. "I've had to put up with those two macho dorks every time we've ever gone to that blasted club, because every time we go, Cyc asks his cousin to come sit with us, and now…it's your turn!"

Cassy wanted to say no, to say she was too busy or something, but somehow, judging from the look in her friend's eyes, she didn't think saying no would be an option.

"Oh all right," Cassy said defeated. "I'll go, but just for this one time, alright?"

Cyan actually breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you!" Suddenly, there was the sound of breaking glass and a noise of screaming voices coming from within the Unicorn's Diner.

"Uh oh," Cyan muttered. "Now if you will excuse me, I better go and see what Cyc has gotten himself into…again." She trotted over to the diner to find their one-eyed friend.

Cassy sighed miserably. 'Terrific,' she thought, 'a full night of having to put up with a load of teenage Olympians who hate me, and an adult version of Cyc. What a perfect way to spend my Friday night.'

Still, the more she thought about it, the more she grew used to the idea. After all, she rarely went out, and it was only this one night. Where was the harm in that?

She started to make her way home to get ready for tonight and along the way she wondered about Cyc's cousin. Could he really be as bad as Cyan had made him out to be? Nah, no one could possibly be as bad as Cyc… Could he?

0000000000

A couple of hours later, Cassy, Cyc and Cyan were on their way to the nightclub where Cyc's cousin worked.

Cyc walked as though he was listening to music, mainly because he thought it made him look cooler and showed everyone what a terrific dancer he was.

"You look hot, Cass!" he told her, as he eyed her new dress that Aunt Mantaura had given her for her birthday. One of the handiest things about having a tailor for an adopted aunt, was that you never had to worry about not having enough money for shopping.

"Thanks, Cyc," she answered, as they neared the entrance to the River Styx. "So where's this…"

"WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?" a large booming voice sounded above them.

Cassy whirled around and was greeted by a huge muscular Cyclops, the likes of which she had never seen. He wore only a loincloth, and his giant body was covered in huge blue-green muscles. He was older than Cyc and he was definitely larger. The larger Cyclops topped him by about four feet in height, and with more muscle mass. His clean-shaven face held a devilish grin and he had short white hair that was combed in an orderly fashion.

She guessed that this was the River Styx's resident bouncer, and Cyc's cousin.

"Well, little lady, who might you be?" the large Cyclops gave her an easy smile.

"Uh…well, it's Cassy, sir." She replied, more than a little nervous. "Pleased to meet you." she gave him a little curtsy.

"Ooh, and so polite too. I like this girl, little cousin." He winked at Cyc.

Cyc smirked back. "I knew you would, Orin. Oh well now, where are my manners? Cassy, this is my cousin Orinaeus, Orin for short."

Orinaeus gave her a wide grin and said, "Pleased to meet you." He bent down on his knee and gave her his hand.

With more than a little bit of reluctance, Cassy held out her own hand for a handshake. She gasped when her hand, and most of her arm was engulfed in the giant's hand, as he gently shook hers.

"Holy crap!" Cassy's mind raced. "I know this guy is being gentle, but if he shook me any harder then he would tear my arm off."

"So, guys," Orinaeus asked with a smirk. "What brings you to my neck of the woods, eh?"

Cyan spoke up. "Oh, we're just here to unwind a little and take in the atmosphere."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that little incident your little friend here provoked." Orinaeus chuckled. "Heh, I bet you really riled up those kids with your remarks, Cassy."

She rubbed the back of her hand against her golden hair. "Well, I couldn't just stand there as my race was being bashed by those bigots. I mean, jeez, I know humans did some rotten stuff, but to be fair, you guys weren't exactly saints either. It's high time _someone_ aired out the dirty laundry."

Orinaeus gave a hearty laugh. "No arguments there, sweetheart."

Cyan gave a sigh. "Still, Cass, did you really have to take us with you?"

Cassy winced. "I'm sorry, Cyan. It's just that…"

Cyan gave her a dismissive gesture. "Forget it, Cass. I understand why you did it."

Cyc bent down and laid his massive hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, Cass, we forgive you." He then glared at her. "But if you ever pull a stunt like that again without warning us, you'll really know why they call me The Stomper!"

Cyan gave a neigh of annoyance. "Yeah, next time we want in on the fun." She gave Cassy a devilish smirk.

Orinaeus clapped his hands together. "Well come on, guys, enough of that! What do you want to do?"

Cyan smiled up at her friend's cousin. "Well, why don't we start off with a round of drinks?"

Cassy glared at Cyan. "Not wine!"

Cyan rolled her eyes. "No, Cassy, not wine."

After a few minutes, the group was seated and Orinaeus ordered some drinks for them. They had all ordered some exotic fruit drinks called Ambrosia.

"Mmm, these are pretty good," Cassy licked her lips.

"Yeah, pretty good." Cyan agreed.

Cassy looked at her surroundings. The club seemed to be some sort of bar/dance club for teenage New Olympians. It seemed to be almost like Grecian music, complete with harps. They didn't have themes like disco or techno music like they did back home. A sigh escaped her lips.

"Something wrong, Cass?" Cyc looked at her, concern showing in his eye.

"Oh no," she said. "It's just that…I remember once when my parents took me to a dance club right before we came here, on my birthday. It was a little different than what you guys have here, but it was pretty cool. It was a disco dance club." Cassy laughed, but her eyes became misty. "I remember my dad getting decked out in this horrible polyester get-up. He and my mom danced disco badly. My God, I was sooo embarrassed."

"Sounds like they cared for you a lot." Cyan wiped some moisture away from her eyes.

"Yeah, they did," Cassy nodded. "They were the greatest, Cyan. They weren't just my parents, they were my friends. They were the coolest. Back then, I didn't think my life could get any better. I was so excited too because we were taking a trip to Greece." Cassy's face turned into a frown. "I wish we'd never taken that stupid trip now. I wish my parents were still alive, I wish…"

Cyan gave a slight neigh of distress, and reached out her hand to Cassy. "Look, you can't change what's happened, Cass. I know this sounds harsh, but you just have to deal with the lot that life's given you."

"Yeah, Cassy," Orinaeus chose that moment to speak up. "Life can be a bitch sometimes…"

"So you have to show life that you can be a bitch too," Cassy froze, as she spoke these words. She looked to Orinaeus with a look of pure shock in her eyes. "How did you know that? That's what my father used to say all the time."

Orinaeus looked equally surprised back at her. "I didn't know that," he shrugged. "Your old man must have had some very good tastes, I suppose."

"Right, that's enough, everybody. Let's stop with the unhappy thoughts, ladies. It ain't healthy," piped up Cyc.

"Right, cous, no point in getting yourself down on something you can't fix, Cass. So why don't we just stop this and get down to having some fun!"

"Like what, cous?" Cyc looked at his older cousin.

"Why don't we have ourselves a good ole wrestlin' match to throw some spice into this party?" He gave Cyc a sly look. "Let's show these ladies what Cyclops muscle can do in the ring."

"Oh Zeus, Cassy. They're doing it again." Cyan hissed.

Cassy leaned over to her friend and whispered. "What? What are they doing?"

"They are trying to impress us and every other female in this place." She said, as she observed Orinaeus removing the chairs and tables from the floor, and Cyc removing his shirt. Many New Olympians gathered around to see what was going on. Earlier on, they had stayed far away from Cassy and her friends, because of her, but now many a New Olympian female looked on at the two Cyclops in admiration, and lust.

"Oh God," Cassy muttered, and covered her face in embarrassment, as she saw what the two were really doing, while Cyan just snorted in annoyance.

Orinaeus and Cyc locked eyes, as they assumed a wrestler's stance. The two contenders were bent forward with one hand locked against the others.

"Cyan, call it!" commanded Orinaeus.

Cyan sighed, as she got up and trotted to where the two behemoths stood. She raised her hand and announced. "Ready! Set!" she lowered her hand. "GO!" She ducked out quickly, with a gasp, as Orinaeus and Cyc stomped on the floor.

Cyc rushed forward, head on into his cousins' midsection, trying to topple the much larger Cyclops. Orinaeus' body moved back a few inches from the attack, but then he stood his ground. He grunted, as he began to pry off Cyc's bulging arms from his frame. He twisted his cousin around and restrained his arms behind his back.

Cyc grunted in pain and frustration, as he was being lowered onto his knees. He heard the shouts of the others cheering for them.

"Go. Orinaeus!"

"Go, Cyc!"

The younger Cyclops gritted his teeth, as he summoned all of his strength to slowly get back onto his legs. "You won't beat me that easily, cous!" Cyc shouted in defiance.

"Oh yeah, small fry? I'm older than you are, bigger than you are, more experienced, and not to mention waaaaaay better looking. What makes you think I won't come out on top?" Orinaeus sniggered.

"Because chicks don't go for losers," Cyc said with a smirk.

"Ooh, our little Cyc is growing up now. My Uncle Brontes raised you well, my boy, but you still won't come out on top." Orinaeus laughed heartily.

Cassy shook her head, which was cradled in her hands. She then went to rubbing her temples. "I can smell the testosterone from here," she said to Cyan.

Cyan wrinkled her nose. "That ain't testosterone, Cass. That's sweat."

Cassy gave her a dumb look. "Cyan, you know what I mean. Oh, and I just want to state now that men, no matter what their species are, are complete and utter morons."

Cyan took Cassy's hand, as she continued looking on the spectacle. "I hear ya, Cass, I hear ya."

Cyc's leg swept out and Orinaeus landed with an audible, "OOF!" onto the dance floor. He quickly recovered by getting up with lightning speed and running behind Cyc, wrapping his huge arms around Cyc's neck, locking him in a sleeper hold. "Now, little cousin, what ya say? Oops, I forgot… You can't say anything." Orinaeus grinned, as Cyc's face turned a deeper shade of blue.

Cyc, in an act of desperation, elbowed Orinaeus in the stomach and broke free. "Oof…" The larger Cyclops groaned, and then grinned. "Well, boy, looks like you aren't all talk after all."

Despite being winded, Cyc grinned back. "Nope, cous, it takes a lot more than that to get me down," was Cyc's cheeky response. He turned his back on Orinaeus, bent down and slapped his butt, making all the females giggle and stare intensely.

Cassy groaned. "Give me a break."

"Now come on, old timer," Cyc taunted his relative. "Let's see ya try an get me."

Orinaeus chuckled. "Oh man, you're asking for it, little cous." He dashed up to Cyc and started to throw series after series of left and right hooks. Cyc used his elbows to block them, and then grabbed Orin by his huge shoulders and head-butted him, sending Orin reeling.

"I suppose that's one way for Cyc to use his head." Cassy muttered. Cyan just snorted.

Orinaeus grabbed Cyc by his hair and slammed his knee into his face. "Oooh!"

Cassy winced. If she didn't know that Cyclops's bodies were a lot tougher than they looked, then she would be screaming at them to stop right now.

Many of the New Olympians cried out at the sight of them, as Orin picked up Cyc, fireman style, and dropped him onto the hard floor. The wind was knocked out of Cyc's body. Orinaeus then got up and…

"Aaaaaaagh!" Orinaeus gave a war cry, as he jumped up into the air and drove his elbow into Cyc's midsection.

"Oof!" Cyc's eye bulged out again as more wind was knocked out of him. Orinaeus then turned around Cyc with a malicious grin.

"Ohhh, I can't watch!" Cyan covered her eyes, as Orinaeus took Cyc's leg and hyper extended it.

"Oh! All right, cous, enough!" Cyc called out wide-eyed.

Orinaeus let go of Cyc's leg. He smiled down to his cousin and offered him a hand up. "You had enough, _Hercules?_!" shouting out Cyc's real name, earning a few smirks from the audience.

Cyc glared at him for calling him his real name. "All right, I give." He took Orinaeus' hand and pulled himself up. "So why don't we get ourselves back to the ladies?"

"All right, kid, let's go." Orinaeus put an affectionate arm around his cousin's shoulder.

Cassandra put on a fake smile. "Okay, Cyan, here they come. Wow, you guys were great!"

"Good job, guys!" Cyan gave the two Cyclops an equally fake smile while her voice was plastered with sarcasm. The two Cyclops didn't seem to notice though, as they visibly preened over the ladies comments.

Cyc grinned. "Yeah, ladies, I know we are both hot stuff." He wiped his sweat filled brow. "Don't we just look great all buffed up and sweating like this, ladies?" Both Cyc and Orinaeus began to take on various bodybuilding poses, as Cyc began flexing his bicep.

Cassy's grin stretched even wider, so wide that it almost hurt. She was giving them a vapid expression and spoke through her teeth. "Yeah, you guys were great. I mean wow, you guys are just wow!"

"Don't overdo it, Cassy." Cyan whispered through clenched teeth. She too gave them an empty happy look.

The rest of the night went pretty smoothly. They had a few more drinks, almost half the girls in the club asked to feel Cyc's bicep and then asked him for a dance, to which he happily complied. Cassy found it rather funny to watch Cyc dance with some of the girls like the Centaurs, who were many sizes smaller than he. She almost laughed, as she watched Cyc having to bend over and carry the poor girl, otherwise they never would have been able to start dancing.

Orinaeus, as he was working, spent most of the night at the main door and being ready to take out any people, who were there to have more than their fair share of fun. Cassy caught him smiling at her and Cyan once or twice before he went back to flexing his muscles at another girl, who had just entered.

'Destiny's couple,' she thought bemusedly. How Cyc's family had ever been cursed to have two of the same Cyclops like him and Orinaeus was beyond her.

Cassy was most thankful that none of the other Olympians came over to them. She had been more than afraid that maybe some of the Olympian teenagers would come over and give her a hard time about her presentation…or worse.

She looked up from her drink and watched Cyc, as he pranced about all over the dance floor, shaking his backside and holding whichever one of the girls he was dancing with at the time.

Cyan had a bit more style, as she was dancing rather gracefully with a cute Minotaur that she had been eyeing all night.

Orinaeus had kindly asked her for a dance, but Cassy just didn't feel like dancing. Although no one had made any advances to her about her presentation, they were still giving her cold looks.

'I wish I was home,' she thought miserably.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice suddenly spoke above her, startling her.

Cassy looked up, and found a rather handsome Centaur smiling down on her.

"Huh? Oh…yeah, actually. My friend sits here, but she's dancing at the moment, so feel free to take the weight off your hooves."

"Thanks," the young male Centaur eased himself into the seat of cushions and smiled at her again. "I haven't seen you here before. You'd think I would've noticed something like a human in a place as small as this."

Cassy smiled back at him. "This is my first time here. My friends coaxed me into it."

The Centaur shrugged. "Yeah, that's how I ended up in this place too, but I found it to be a great hangout, so I come here regularly now."

Cassy shrugged. "Seems like a nice place, but I don't think I'll be coming back again." At the Centaur's questioning look, she added, "There aren't that many Olympians, who appreciate seeing a human in their hangout, as you call it."

The Centaur gave a half-smile. "Yeah, I guess it's not much fun when a lot of people don't like you. Incidentally, I heard you made quite an impression with that presentation of yours at the school? I'm sorry I missed it."

Cassy looked up surprised. "Err…thanks, I guess. I don't think I've seen you around school often... Say, what is your name by the way?"

The Centaur bowed his head slightly. "Name's Nessus, and you must be Cassy, right?"

Cassy blinked.

Nessus grinned. "There aren't that many Olympians who don't know the name of the one and only human living on New Olympus."

"Oh…right," Cassy looked at him curiously.

"And in answer to your other question," he continued. "I don't go to the Western Olympus School; I go to the Eastern one."

"Ah," Cassy said, realising now. "I've only been there whenever our schools were against one another in the Olympic sports."

Nessus grinned. "Yeah, I remember seeing you there in the audiences."

At Cassy's quirked eyebrow, he laughed a little. "I'm a runner for my school," he explained.

Cassy smiled. "Cool!"

Nessus smiled, but underneath he thought, 'Cool?'

"It must be nice to represent your school like that," Cassy said a little sadly. "If I were to join in any of the sports, I'd most likely be booed and shouted off the field before I even got a chance, and even if I did, then I'd never be able to keep up with most of the Olympians."

Nessus nodded in understanding.

"Say, how'd you know about my presentation anyway," Cassy suddenly enquired, "Since you don't go to our school?"

Nessus smirked. "Are you kidding?" he said slightly amazed. "There isn't a single Olympian on the island that doesn't know about it. Everyone's been talking about the lone human who decided to take it upon herself to wrong the name of New Olympus, and disgrace its ancestors."

Cassy felt her lungs deflate. 'Ohhhh God,' she thought.

Nessus grinned at her. "Don't sweat it," he reassured her. "Deep down, everyone knows the real truth about what happened all those centuries ago in Greece. It's just they want sooo much to believe that their ancestors were the victims that the thought that they might have started it all is unthinkable to them."

Cassy nodded. "Yeah, I've heard that mentioned once or twice. I honestly don't know what I was doing at the time. It seemed like a good idea at the time…until I was in front of the class ready to present it."

Nessus shrugged. "Well personally, I think you were right for telling it." At Cassy's questioning look he added, "Our people keep saying they've advanced so much, yet they refuse to acknowledge the truth or at least the possible truth about what their ancestors truly were. If they can't do a simple thing like that, then what hope do we have for our future as a great people?"

Cassy smiled. "I didn't think I would ever meet another New Olympian that actually agreed with my statement," she said unbelievably.

Nessus smiled. "Well, now you do." he said, and patted her hand. "So who're your friends by the way?"

Cassy pointed to over where Cyc was dancing with three girls at once, two were on his shoulders, and the other he was holding close to his torso as he danced.

"That's Cyc," she said.

Nessus's own eyebrows shot up. "HE'S your friend?"

Cassy nodded and Nessus laughed. "Forgive me for sounding so surprised, only I know that guy… In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if most of New Olympus knows him, particularly the female population."

Cassy grinned. "Yup, that's Cyc alright. But don't worry; Cyc and I are no way in a relationship."

Nessus laughed again. "That's good to hear. I'd hate it if that guy got pissed at me for stealing his girlfriend."

Cassy snorted. "Even if I was, I doubt Cyc would even be able to remember which girl was his girlfriend. He's had so many that he can't remember their names and keeps calling each of them by the wrong one. Provided quite a show when he called his girlfriend by his ex-girlfriend's name at the school dance, I can tell you."

Nessus chuckled. "So…" He hesitated. "Would you like to dance?"

Cassy gulped a little, as the song that had just come up was a slow moving and obviously romantic one, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Umm, okay, sure," she got up and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. She watched thankfully, as not one of the other kids looked at her, as they were too busy dancing with their partners.

Nessus lead her onto the dance floor and proceeded to gently circle his arms around her, holding her hand and placing his own above her left hip.

Cassy felt a little weird, as dancing with a Centaur was…different to say the least. She could hear the clip-clop of his hooves, as they tapped on the floor, and he had to lower his face straight down to look at her and ended up resting his chin on top of her head.

She took extra special care in this dance, as she didn't want to risk getting her feet stepped on by his large hooves, but he seemed particularly careful in holding her, and seemed to be an ace in dancing.

She enjoyed the slow rhythm of the song, as Nessus waltzed her around the room. She noticed Cyc and even Orinaeus, dancing with more than a few girls at the same time, holding them close to him like a mother with their newborn babies.

Cyan was also dancing with the Minotaur that she had fancied, and Cassy noticed, with a raised eyebrow, how she had her hand on his butt as they twirled to the song, both of them with goofy grins on their faces.

'And she slams Cyc's flirting skills?' she thought amazed.

She got a little nervous when Nessus held her close to his chest, as they continued dancing gracefully. Unlike most of the other Centaurs she had seen, he wasn't wearing anything except for some kind of odd Egyptian style collar around his neck, other than that he wore nothing. But he was really gentle with her, and in some way she felt safe and warm in his embrace.

He was really very handsome, with a delicate face with high cheekbones and a straight nose, blonde hair that was combed back in a fashion similar to Orin's, shining golden skin that bulged out with muscles, and dark brown eyes that gazed intensely into hers. Even the horse-half of him was beautiful, with a dark auburn coloured hide that was neatly trimmed. It looked like how a racehorse would look back home.

Cassy couldn't help though, but remember the tales she had heard about the Centaurs. However, there hadn't been a case like that in centuries and the security here was tighter than Fort Knox, so she had nothing to fear.

Cassy sighed, as she buried her face in Nessus's chest, enjoying the warmth of his touch and the steady beating of his heart…hearts? Cassy could swear she could hear the double beating of two hearts from him.

Cassy looked up at Nessus curiously. "Nessus?" she began to ask. "Forgive me if this sounds stupid, but I'm no doctor… Do you have two hearts?"

Nessus nodded. "Yes, one here in the chest like you humans do," he then reached his hand back and patted the back on his horse-half, "and another one here in the lower part of my body."

Cassy blinked. 'Whoa, two hearts,' she thought. 'No wonder Centaurs were so hot blooded, what with all the energy that two hearts must give them.' She summarised that was what all Centaurs needed, as with their kind of bodies they would need the extra stamina.

She leaned forward again and listened to the heart in his human chest, together with the echo of his second heart in his horse body.

"You have a beautiful heartbeat," she said. "It's such an unusual rhythm, so peaceful to listen to."

Nessus smiled. "Most people wouldn't give it a second thought. I'm glad in a way that you notice these things."

Cassy smiled back. "Even after all these years on this island, I'm still getting used to things and learning new stuff everyday."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, listening to the music and moving softly to its tune, until finally the music came to an end and they had to step down.

Cassy saw her friends and, to her dismay, Orinaeus sitting at their table where Cyan was leaning forward with her head in her hands, and Cyc and Orinaeus seemed to be having an arm wrestling contest.

"I'd better be off," Nessus said and then reached for her hand, kissing it politely. "I hope I'll see you again soon."

Cassy smiled. "I'd like that, very much."

Nessus grinned. "Well…if you want to see me again, then you'd better start coming to the club regularly."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Oh geez, not you too!" she exclaimed.

Nessus laughed and trotted away.

Cassy couldn't help, but gaze at his rear as he left, and then mentally shook herself.

'Okay,' she thought. 'Now _that_…is scary. Okay, maybe there is some truth to what Cyc said about how potential lovers always end up checking each other's…posterior out. But come on… The guy has the backside of a horse for crying out loud!'

Cassy remembered how her parents had once taken her to a Texas ranch where they had fed the farm animals and ridden the horses across the plains, and her dad had promised her that one day he would get her a pony of her own.

'Somehow,' she thought amusedly, 'I don't think Nessus was quite what he had in mind?' she chuckled and made her way back to their table.

"So?" Cyan sprang her head up from the table, ignoring Cyc and Orin as they attempted to best each other out, best 2 out of 3. "Acquired a new friend, have we?" she slyly remarked.

Cassy didn't even blush, and just sat down casually. "If you mean Nessus then yes, he was very nice and we share a great deal in common."

"Ohhh really?" Cyan rested her chin on her hands, sneering at her human friend. "Is that all?"

Cassy shuffled a bit. "What else is there?"

"How's about…" Cyan began. "What a great dancer he was, how handsome he is, how big his muscles are… Did your eyes get sore after watching his butt make its way out of the club?"

Cassy did blush then, as she glared at her best friend.

"Huh?" Cyc asked loudly, his attention drawn away from his arm wrestle.

"Yeah, huh?" Orinaeus joined in, his voice a little slurred from the drink he had just had. "Why'd you wanna check out some wimpy little Centaur kid, when you've got 2 God's gifts right here?" He thumped his own chest like a gorilla and playfully punched Cyc's shoulder, which Cyc shrugged off.

Cyan wrinkled her nose. "Gee," she replied sarcastically, "I just can't imagine, can you?" she looked to her friend, who sat down, wearily looking at the two Cyclops'.

Suddenly, Orinaeus got a wicked glint in his eye, and he leaned over to his cousin, whispering in his ear and Cyc then got the same glint, which made both Cassy and Cyan very, _very_ nervous.

"I have no idea what the heck those two are planning, but come on let's go." Cassy said with a role of her eyes. As Cassy and Cyan got up to leave, they were scooped up in the arms of the two Cyclops.

"Hey!" protested Cyan, as Orinaeus picked her up in his brawny arms. He gave her a devilish grin, as he pressed the Centaur up against his large muscular chest. Cyan looked around and found that Cassy was in pretty much the same situation, as Cyc had Cassy in his huge arms and pressing her to his bare chest.

"Cyc!" Cassy slapped the Cyclops on his chest, to which he just grinned. "Let me down!"

"No way, Cass," the Cyclops grinned down at her, "Me and Orin are going to show you the time of your lives! No boy Centaur is better than we are! Ha!" With that, Cyc and Orinaeus started to dance to the rhythm of the club music.

'Oh God!' Cassy thought, as Cyc began dancing with her, holding her in his strong arms. Well, not that you could call it dancing, as the two girls could do nothing as the two Cyclops spun and twirled with the two girls in their arms.

The Olympians who were left in the club noticed the odd couples dancing, and began pointing at them. Some of them burst out laughing at the funny sight, as Cyc and his cousin twirled the girls around, holding them close, and even planting a kiss on both of their cheeks.

'I'm gonna kill them!' Cassy and Cyan both thought simultaneously.

0000000000

**Five Days Later: **

Cassy laughed, as Nessus joked about some of his teachers from school, from Mrs Joy the Pan who was forever bossing them on their homework, to Mr Eros the Cupid who once broke his wing and had to spend all morning standing on large piles of books to see everyone.

Cassy had to admit that she was growing quite fond of Nessus. He was very handsome, with an exceedingly masculine chest, big muscular arms, and a wonderful sense of humour, with a pleasant laugh.

After their first meeting, Cassy had gone back to The River Styx again, the very next night, and this time she made sure to give him her number, to contact her. Thankfully, he gave her his number as well. They had been spending quite a lot of time together so far.

Today he had invited her to lunch, which she had gladly accepted.

She was actually supposed to have met Cyan and Cyc at the Olympians Baths, and go swimming with them at the beach. However, she didn't think they would mind too much if she skipped a single day with them. After all, she had spent nearly every day with them since they had met, when she first came to New Olympus, so what was the harm in her wanting to try something new?

"So how's school been?" Nessus suddenly asked her.

"Huh?" Cassy asked, pulled out of her reverie.

"I said, how's school been?" Nessus repeated. "The other kids still giving you heat about that talk of yours?"

Cassy smiled brightly. "Some are, but some are actually starting to listen to me, and have even begun to question their folks about the truth of their ancestors. It was a little hard at first, but I think people are starting to listen to me."

"That's great then!" Nessus said joyfully. "So you did get through to some people."

Cassy nodded. "I never thought the day would come when anyone here on this island would ever listen to me, but… The last few days have been a real turnaround. There's even been talk that some of the kids are going to start a debate club, where they talk about the truth and such."

"Cool!" Nessus exclaimed, using the word that he had learnt from Cassy, even though he still didn't know what it meant.

Cassy grinned proudly, but stopped when she saw Cyan passing by on the street. "Oh, there's Cyan." Cassy got up and dropped some money onto the table to pay for her lunch. "I better go talk to her. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Actually," Nessus began, "I'm gonna be pretty much tied up for the rest of the week, Cassy. I've got waaay too much schoolwork to catch up with."

Cassy felt dejected. "Oh, well… School does come first, I suppose…"

"But hey," Nessus said more happily. "There's a party this Friday at my cousin Ixion's house. You wanna come?"

Cassy's face brightened. "Sure! Where is it?"

"At the east coast, at one of the provenance houses," Nessus replied. "Oh, but before you say anything else, I should warn you that most of all the guests going there, will be Centaurs."

"Oh, how come?"

Nessus shrugged. "Dunno. My cousin Ixion has never really been fond of hanging out with other races before, and has stuck to his own kind."

"Oh, then maybe I shouldn't come," Cassy began a little fearfully. "I wouldn't want to ruin your cousin's birthday."

"Nah," Nessus scoffed. "He won't mind. In fact, he personally asked me if I would invite you. He's never met a human before, and is most interested. Besides, any idiot with half a brain who saw you, would immediately want you to stay."

Cassy blushed. "Thanks," she then noticed Cyan almost around the corner, and out of sight. "Ummm, okay," she said hurriedly, "I'll come."

"Great!" Nessus got up to say goodbye to her. "I'll pick you up at around 5-0-clock on Friday evening?"

"Great," Cassy started to leave. "I look forward to it!" She yelled back to him and waved goodbye, as she hurried after her friend, Nessus waving goodbye to her back.

"Cyan!" Cassy called out to her Centaur friend, but for some reason she didn't seem to hear her. "Cyan, wait up will you?"

Cyan finally stopped and turned around, as Cassy jogged up to her. Cassy however stopped, when she saw the stern unhappy look in her friend's eyes.

"Cyan," she began hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

"We were supposed to go swimming today, remember?" Cyan said crossly. "I was waiting for you at the Baths for over two hours, Cassy!" she glared at her friend. "I was worried, wondering where in Tartarus you were, and nearly went straight to Taurus, only to find you flirting with lover boy back there!" she pointed back to the restaurant from where Cassy had just come.

Cassy's face burned. "I'm sorry," she said honestly. "I guess I just lost track of time and... I didn't think you would mind me missing one day…"

"Mind?" Cyan exploded with rage. "You left me standing at the baths looking like an idiot, when all the time you were back there sitting comfortably with Muscle-man!"

"I said I was sorry, alright!" Cassy replied hotly, "What more do you want me to say?"

"How's about apologising to Cyc too," Cyan wouldn't give an inch. "In case you forgot, we were both supposed to meet you at the baths a while ago."

"Well, yeah…" Cassy began. "But he won't mind. I mean, he never has any trouble in finding something to do in his spare time."

"That's not the point!" Cyan shouted, and cringed when a few onlookers stopped and stared at them. "We were supposed to get together to plan my birthday party this Friday, remember?"

Cassy felt her blood run cold. "Fri…Friday?" she asked a little fearfully.

Cyan eyed her suspiciously. "You had better be about to tell me that it just slipped your mind, and NOT that you have just made other plans for that night?" she hissed.

Cassy winced and wanted to bury herself right there and then. "I'm…I'm sorry, Cyan."

"Oh fine!" Cyan stomped her hoof and strode away. "Some friend you are!"

"Cyan, wait!" Cassy pleaded with her. "I'm sorry. It just happened. Nessus asked me to go with him to his cousin Ixion's birthday party. It was a spur of the moment thing, I completely forgot."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Cyan continued walking away, breaking into a gallop. "Well I hope you, your boyfriend, and his cousin all live happily ever after, goodbye!" With that, she galloped away and didn't even give Cassy a chance to blink.

"Well that's certainly put a dampener on my day," she grumbled.

0000000000

**Two Days Later: **

The next couple of days went by slowly, as Cassy had eagerly waited for Friday to come. She had tried to speak to Cyan a few times, and was close to actually breaking off her date with Nessus if that would have won her friend back.

'Am I really being so selfish in wanting a new friend?' she thought, and then added, 'or something even more.'

Sure, she shouldn't have left Cyan and Cyc by themselves at the Baths, or at least told them that she had had other plans or something, but… In all the time they had known each other; she had always made it to their hangouts in time, and had spent all of her free time with them for years. Why were they being so bitchy about her wanting to spend some time with someone else for once?

Well, Cyan was at least, as Cyc had been busy working at the City Baths all week and she had rarely seen him. He wasn't one to hold a grudge though, and had most likely left when she didn't show up, probably gone flirting with another girl. He would also of course be attending Cyan's birthday party.

'The party that I should be attending,' Cassy thought miserably. 'Why am I even going out with Nessus? I hardly know him, and I certainly don't know his cousin, so why am I going to a party for someone I don't know, when I should be going to my best friend's one?'

The answer was simple enough…because she wanted Nessus to like her. True, he didn't seem like the type who would get mad at her for not going out with him, but she didn't really want to take the chance.

She applied the last few touches of make-up to her face at her dressing table, and took a look at herself. She wasn't one for make-up, so she had only added a little lipstick and some eye mascara.

She had never been to the Provenances, where Nessus's cousin lived. She hoped there weren't too many of the usual human haters there, as she didn't fancy the idea of being trampled to death by loads of angry Centaur hooves.

'Still,' she thought, 'there is an upside if that does happen. Maybe Nessus will rescue you and carry you on his back…or better yet _in_ _his arms_, and carry you to safety with him holding you all the way.' She grinned, as she imagined Nessus holding her with those strong arms, and caressing her with those gentle hands of his.

Cassy felt her face flush, and murmured in pleasure, as she pictured him with her right at that moment. She briefly wondered what might happen if he did come onto her? Part of her wanted him to, and it was now possibly for her to mate with an Olympian. She then looked down at herself for a second, and wondered.

Only just a few weeks ago, she had had to go with Manty to his clinic, where she had to have some genetic treatment that enabled her to mate with any of the Olympians on the island. At the time, she didn't think she would ever have any kind of relationship with any male on this island, but unfortunately it was the law of New Olympus that she had to have it.

The treatment was done by Manty, which had made it a little easier for her. It was a simple procedure that hadn't lasted longer than a few minutes. The treatment itself basically did something to her genital area, making her skin and vaginal area more…stretchable, she supposed was the word she was looking for. She didn't know the correct term for it, only that it literally enabled her to mate with any number of males on the isle, whether they were tiny creatures like the Cupids, or massive beings like the Cyclops.

Cassy shuddered, as Manty had joked at the time, saying that now she could have a relationship with Cyc if she wanted. Needless to say, if Manty weren't her foster father, she would have wanted very much to punch his lights out that day.

It felt weird, because she didn't feel any different, nor did her personal area, but Manty assured her that she was safe and healthy.

The treatment had been created long ago because on an isle as small as this, many of the different species of Olympians ended up falling in love and mating with each other. The only problem was, at the time, a lot of the races were not compatible with each other, because of size difference mostly. So the treatment had been created, allowing any race member to be with whoever, or whatever, they wanted. Every Olympian had to go through the treatment once they reached almost full maturity, as they didn't want to take any chances in anyone being hurt or killed, if raped by a being larger than they.

"Cassy!" Manty's voice suddenly called to her. "Your date's here!"

Cassy blushed. One day she would have to find time to talk to Manty about stealth.

"Coming!" she called back to him. She quickly finished off the last of her eye shadow, stood up and looked over herself in the mirror. She was wearing the latest dress that she had gotten from Manty's sister, Mantaura. A short gold dress that was cut, almost indecently short, right up to the thigh, with a white-silver lining and a red star brooch pinned on her breast.

She didn't know whether or not she would look hot to a Centaur in this outfit, but Manty had sure approved when he had whistled and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Cassy smirked. Manty may be getting on his years, but he still had the heart and spirit of a teenager.

Satisfied with her appearance, Cassy smoothed out a little of her hair, and then made her way out into the hallway where she found Manty and Nessus talking.

"So the Centaur walks into a bar and the bartender says, 'why the long face?'"

Nessus half smiled, as he must have heard that joke about a million times in his life.

"Have you ever thought about taking Genetics and becoming a geneticist?" Manty suddenly asked the young Centaur. "It's a great way to make a living, and you'll always be sure to have plenty of cash to support a family."

Nessus shook his head, his cheeks turning red. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm thinking about just becoming an ordinary…" He paused for a moment, and then added quietly, "a family doctor."

Manty cocked an eyebrow at him, and then nodded. "Yes, I started out as a family doctor."

"Really?" Nessus asked curiously.

"Yeah, my wife planned to be my next patient once when she and I wanted…" Manty trailed off, and then stopped when he spotted Cassy standing in the doorway to her room. "Ah, the lady arrives."

Nessus turned to look at Cassy, and she swore she could see his eyes bulge out when he saw her.

"Wow!" Nessus exclaimed, as he looked up and down at her. "You look… Wow!"

Cassy grinned. 'Definitely got to thank Mantaura for this dress,' she thought happily.

Manty grinned too, at the almost cartoon expression on Nessus's face, his jaw dropped so low that it was practically touching the floor. He leaned over to Nessus's side and whispered in his ear. "You might like to know. Your mouth's open."

Nessus shut his mouth, blushing a little more.

"Shall we go?" Cassy said hurriedly, wanting to spare Nessus anymore of Manty's bad jokes and constant harassment.

"Now, remember to be home by eleven," Manty began quoting. "No breaking cur fume, I don't want to smell any alcohol on you, no torn blouse…"

"MANTY!" she shrieked embarrassed.

"What?" Manty asked, pretending to be confused.

Cassy rolled here eyes and kissed Manty quickly on the cheek. "I'll be seeing you later," she said and gave him a short wave with her hand, as they left the apartment.

"Be sure to…!" Manty began, but she cut him off.

"Goodbye, Manty!" she quickly shut the door behind her and hurried beside Nessus. "Sorry about that," she told him. "Manty has this annoying habit of enjoying embarrassing people, especially me."

Nessus chuckled. "Don't sweat it. I have folks like him who make me turn red all the time."

Cassy smiled. "So, how far is this cousin of yours' house again?"

Nessus shrugged. "Not far…or at least it won't be if..." He looked a little embarrassed.

"If what?" she asked.

"If…you wouldn't mind riding me?" he asked hesitantly.

"What?"

"I mean ride on my back," he held up his hands defensively. "We could get there a lot faster if you get on my back and I gallop us there."

"Oh," Cassy shrugged. After all, what harm could it do? "Okay, but if you throw me off, then I'm suing, alright?"

Nessus laughed and kneeled down a little on his knees so that she could climb up onto his back.

"Now hold on." He said, as he kicked his legs, getting ready to run.

"By the way," she began. "I've always wondered… Just how fast do you Centaurs goooOOOOOOOO!"

She screamed, as Nessus charged down the road so fast, she felt her hair wave behind her like a banner.

0000000000

**Cyan's House: **

Cyan smiled pretending at all her friends from school, and her relatives, as they all danced to the music blaring out of the music box.

Cyan sighed, as yet another couple of her friends from school turned up. She greeted them with a forced smile and accepted their gifts. All of her friends and family were there at her birthday party, everyone except her best friend, Cassy.

Cyan felt lousy. She hadn't felt at all like dancing, eating, drinking, or doing any of the kind of stuff that people would usually find her doing at a party, whereas Cyc seemed to be doing all of it for her.

Cyc had three giggling girl Harpies in his arms, as he swerved from left to right.

Cyan regretted the fight she had had with Cassy, and wished she could take it back now. Yes, she had been mad at her for standing her up at the Baths, but it wasn't as if it was a regular occurrence with her. She had just been so mad.

Cyan frowned. She wondered if she should try calling her, and asking her if she would still like to come to her party, but then again she'd have probably already gone out with that Centaur, Nessus.

"Hey, Cyan!" Cyc's booming voice sounded in her ear. "What's up? This is your party, girl! Time to get down and shake that tail of yours!"

Cyan rubbed her ear painfully. "Thanks, Cyc, but I'm really not in the mood," she moaned.

Cyc cocked his head at his friend. "What's up?"

Cyan sighed. "Cass and me had a fight. You remember when we were supposed to meet up for swimming at the beach, a couple of days ago, only she never showed up? Well, I found out that the reason she never showed was because she'd been having lunch with that Centaur boy she met at the River Styx a few days ago."

"Oooh!" Cyc's eyes went wide. "Cass has a man? Yah, way to go Cassy!"

Cyan snorted. "Trust you to take her side," she mumbled.

"Aren't you glad she's got someone?" Cyc asked her curiously. "I mean, someone other besides you and me. She can't hang around with us for the rest of her life, you know."

"I know!" Cyan hissed. "But she didn't have to leave us hanging like she did. What's worse is that she's not even here at my birthday."

"You mean she's not here?" Cyc asked confused, and looked around.

Cyan snorted again. "You've been too busy with the Harpy triplets back there to notice that she hasn't shown up."

"Whoa," Cyc breathed in surprise. "I just assumed…I mean, neither of us has ever missed one of the other's birthdays."

"Yeah, I know," Cyan murmured.

"Do you know where she's gone?"

Cyan shrugged. "She said she was going with that Nessus guy, to his cousin's birthday party or something. I think his name was Ixion."

Cyc went quiet for a few moments and looked at her strangely.

"What?" Cyan said, wondering why he was looking at her that way.

"Did you say Ixion?"

Cyan nodded. "Yeah, what of it?"

Cyc frowned. "Nothing, at least I don't think so."

"Cyc?"

Cyc sighed. "I've just been hearing things about some guy named Ixion," he held up his hands defensively. "Just things that I heard around the baths, and other places, about some guys getting together and having some wild parties, going crazy and all that stuff."

"What's wrong with that?" Cyan asked confused.

"Nothing," Cyc shrugged. "Except that most of the people who ever went to these wild parties, often wound up in the medical centres."

"WHAT?"

0000000000

**Provenances Mansions: **

Cassy blinked a little in amazement at the massive mansion standing before her.

"Your cousin lives _here_?" she asked amazed.

Nessus smirked. "Yeah, when his mom and mine were kids, they fell in love with the same guy, who was one of the richest kids at school. They spent years trying to get him to fall for one of them… My aunt won."

Cassy laughed, and then blanched a little at all the Centaurs that trotted past them, into the main building.

"Don't sweat," Nessus rubbed her arm in comfort. "You'll be fine as long as you're with me, because I won't let anyone do anything to you, understand?"

Cassy smiled, and snuggled into his embrace. "Thank you."

"Oh, one thing I should warn you about," Nessus paused. "Ixion has been known to get…a little _wild_ at his parties."

"A little wild?" she asked.

"Wellll…" Nessus had a wicked glint in his eye. "Let's just say they don't call him 'Steam up the windows Ixion' for nothing."

Cassy blushed, as they went inside.

Everywhere she turned, there were Centaurs all over the place. So many that she had to keep dodging left and right to avoid getting her feet trampled on by the heavy hooves of them. It reminded her of when she had gone to the ranch, with her parents. That had been a time when she had had to jump to avoid getting her foot squashed too.

A lot of the Centaurs were giving her the eye, but she had been expecting them to, her being the only human and all.

Actually, she seemed to be the only other species there at the party at all. Nessus had been correct, as there seemed to be virtually no other races in the house, only Centaurs.

As she passed by some of the Centaurs, with Nessus in tow, she overheard some of them whispering, but paid no heed to them. If it was about her, and that they weren't happy with her being there, then that was just tough. She was there on a date, and she would be damned if she would let any bigots ruin it for her tonight.

However, as it turned out, the Centaurs were not talking about her, or anything to do with her. One of them handed the other a long bottle of a pale blue liquid. He glanced around quickly, to make sure no one was looking.

"You're sure you know what to do?" he asked the other Centaur.

The other Centaur also glanced around worriedly. "Yeah, but…are you sure about this?"

The first Centaur scoffed. "Who cares? Ixion's paying us major credits for doing this, and besides, it's not dangerous."

"Then why have they outlawed it then?"

"Good point, but if that's the case, then why don't they stop drinking too? I've seen some of our island security, and politicians, down at the local club, drinking. It doesn't affect them."

The second Centaur still looked doubtful, but the first one was relentless.

"Don't worry," he assured him. "Nothing bad will happen. We'll just mix the stuff in with the punch, and it'll get people's juices flowing. You wait and see! It'll be fun. This party is going to be sooo bustin tonight, people will be talking about it in years from now."

The second Centaur finally agreed. "Alright, I'll… Whoa!"

"What is it?" the first one turned to where the second was looking, and saw the human girl that Ixion's cousin, Nessus, had walked in with. "Whoa, indeed." His eyes bulged out at the pretty human, "Pretty sexy for a girl with only two legs."

He licked his lips at the sight of her. "If all goes well tonight, and if Ixion doesn't beat me to it, I think I might have a dance or two with her."

He chuckled, and made his way to talk to some other Centaurs, all of which were also looking at the lone human, while the second started to make his way toward the punch bowl.

Cassy noticed some of the Centaurs looking at her… Well, leering at her would be more accurate. She gave them half a smile, and put her arm around Nessus' bicep. He smiled down at her, seemingly not noticing his date's discomfort.

"So, how are you liking the party so far, Cass?" Nessus gave Cassy an easy smile.

"Oh it's great, Nessus," Cassy gave him a little nervous laugh. "I've been wanting to make some new friends for quite some time now."

She wasn't exactly lying, as ever since her forced stay on the island, Cassy had really only ever had Cyan and Cyc to hang out with. Now while she was thankful that she had them, and they really were the best friends she could ever hope for, she still really wished she could make more friends here on the island.

A pang of regret crept into her heart, as she remembered the words she had said to Cyan. And the anger and disappointment on the Centaur's face, as she said she would be missing the party. 'But she'll understand,' she thought. 'It's only this one night. She has to.'

Nessus gently lead her by the arm. "Come on, Cassy. I'd like you to meet my cousin, Ixion." Nessus lead her through a crowd of Centaurs, mostly males, who looked on at her in curiosity, and one or two in…lust?

A pit started to form at the bottom of Cassy's stomach. She looked to Nessus and his handsome face, and smiled warmly. 'Best to keep my eyes on him,' she thought.

"Cousin," Nessus spoke to someone. "I'd like you to meet Cassandra, Cassandra Williams."

A Centaur, about a head shorter than Nessus, turned around. Like Nessus, he was bare-chested but had a slightly lighter tone than he did, a Caucasian if that term could apply to a Centaur. He had a striking face, which Cassy could almost picture as one of the Classical Greek sculptures, or perhaps Michelangelo's David. His horse-half was the classic brown that most Centaurs had, except near the back of his body, where he had three white spots on either side.

Ixion smiled at Cassy. "Hello, Cassandra. I've heard many things about you." He gave her a charming smile, as he went to kiss her hand.

Cassy blushed, which could be easily seen through her peach skin, "All good things I hope."

He turned to Nessus. "So, cousin, this is the famous human that's been living on our island and making a mockery of our history, is it not?"

"Yes, Ixion, the one and only. I hope you really don't mind that I brought her?"

Ixion gave a dismissive gesture. "Oh no, not at all, cousin."

Nessus raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I was rather surprised when you asked me to invite her here. I mean, you've always had these little social events exclusively for Centaurs."

"Oh, well yes, Nessus." Ixion looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, you'll forgive me, Cassy, if I say… You are exotic. I mean, we could have had Minotaurs, Harpies, and Pegasi, but despite all them… You are the only human on the whole of New Olympus."

Cassy glared at him, as her face turned red with anger. "Is that the only reason you had me come here? Because I'm an oddity?"

Nessus loomed over Ixion, as he glared at his cousin. "Is this true, Ixion?"

Ixion was a bit taken back, as he looked at the human uncertainly… "No, no… Well…that was part of it, yes, but you misunderstand me, Cassy. I mean, you being the only one of your kind here is a plus yes, but there is also the fact that you are a friend to my dear cousin Nessus, and for me that is enough." He gently led Cassy by the arm to the punch bowl. "Here, Cassy," he poured her some of the blue and red liquid, "why don't you drink this and relax." He then poured another drink for his cousin and handed it to him.

Cassy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "All right, maybe I overreacted there."

She took the punch and drank. She almost smiled at the sweet and yet sour taste in her mouth. It tasted like it had something else in too, like…alcohol?

She shrugged. 'You only live once,' she thought, and she downed the rest of the drink in her hands.

"Whoaaaaa!" Cassy squealed, as the room started liquefying in front of her eyes. Everything turned blue with a myriad of other colours, dancing in front of her eyes." Ohhh…boy, this is great stuff." She giggled in delight, as she noticed Nessus and some of the others starting to drink the strong punch.

Most of them barely had more than a few sips, before they started roaring out loud, and running off around the room, dancing, shouting, and fighting. Nessus on the other hand, seemed to look quite ill from the moment he took his first sip, but continued drinking it anyway.

"Yeah, come on, come on!" She started dancing around in the middle of the room, as some of the other inebriated Centaurs started to surround her, as they danced around with her.

It was really quite comical to see Centaurs dance. One of the Centaurs tried to do a twirl on the floor, but ended up falling over and landed straight on his side. What with their horse bodies, they could only do so much dancing, as in silent tap-like dancing and nothing more than that.

A couple of them came up to her, and sort of squeezed her in-between their bodies, their horse backsides pressing up against her. Both of them looked unsteady, and were grinning like mad, but Cassy was having too good a time, and was too drunk to notice. She even grabbed a handful of what she could of their backsides and squeezed, gaining a large smile from each of them.

As Cassy danced around, between the two Centaurs, she looked up and saw Nessus and Ixion. They appeared to whining with anger, as they got up on their two back legs and kicked each other on their bodies. Nessus received a kick on his upper torso and then his head, falling on the floor unconscious.

Cassy blinked. "What the'?"

Ixion then hurried over to her, still snuggled in-between the two Centaurs, and licked affectionately on the side of her neck. "Come on, why don't we go somewhere else?"

Despite the effects of the drink, Cassy felt a chill go up her spine. "No, I don't think so. Let me just go check up on Nessus." She moved away from the three Centaurs, and went to Nessus.

"Nessus?" Cassy looked to her escort who, other than a bruise, was snoring rather contentedly.

"Hey, get your butt over here, human!" roared one of the Centaurs that had been dancing with her.

"Yeah, we aren't through with you yet. You're gonna show us a fine time." the other laughed lewdly. Many of the Centaurs started to advance on her.

Cassy shrieked and tried to make a run for the door, but five other Centaurs were already there and were looking on her none too kindly. They grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and one kissed her quickly on the mouth.

Cassy whimpered in her throat, as the Centaur tasted her, and the others started caressing her body.

"Nice," one said drunkenly, as he sniffed at her like a mongrel dog.

One of the Centaurs then turned around, with his back to her, and two others suddenly grabbed her legs and lifted her up, turned her around, and placed her onto the Centaur's back, with her facing his rear.

Everyone laughed at the sight, while the Centaur she was sitting on, turned his head and blew her a kiss. "Wanna go for a ride, bitch?" and bounced her on his back a few times.

In a split second, Cassy brought her leg up, and slammed her knee into the face of one of the Centaurs who was holding her, breaking his nose as it did so.

"Aaargh!" the Centaur shouted. "Human vermin!"

Cassy struggled out of the other's grips, and jumped from the Centaur's back, making a dive to the floor, and rolled. Many gave whinnies of anger, as they started to rise on their hind legs and stomp down on the floor. Cassy made a desperate attempt to dodge their blows, but she wasn't quick enough, as one the Centaurs clipped her on the shoulder. She felt a searing pain in her shoulder, as she made a mad dash for the exit.

She heard the clip clop of their hooves, as they started to run after her. She sobbed, as she ran out of the house and into the nearest bush, hoping to get away from the mad beasts. She heard a crash, as a window was broken, and an angry Centaur galloped out into the night, looking for her. Cassy shivered, praying that they didn't find her.

She mumbled pathetically, as tears blurred her vision. How could things have turned so bad so quickly?

Her shoulder felt like it was on fire. She felt along her back and cursed, as she found a tear in her dress, and what was most likely the flap of material. Yet it didn't feel velvety, like her dress should be. Her shoulder really hurt like hell.

Her mind was still hazy by the powerful alcohol that she had most likely ingested.

She could have sworn her Aunt Mantaura had used a fabric that was close to velvet, on her dress. Yet this material felt soft and doughy. She felt the tear some more, her hand enclosed about something gooey, and what felt like slime, almost like…butter.

"Ugh!" It made squelching noises as she grabbed it, constantly slipping from her hands. Her hand went further into the tear, and now she felt something firm and wet. Come to think of it, the wetness was starting to slide down her back. The firm material was very strange, as it was almost like meat, and she tugged at it and was surprised when she felt her arm twinge. "Huh, what's going on? Why does my back feel numb?"

Cassy took her hand and wiped her hand across her forehead, and again she felt the slick wetness on her face. 'What in the world?' She brought her hand down and looked at it. Trembling, she gave out a small whimper, as she saw the red substance on her hand. Her hand it was covered in…blood.

Opening and closing her mouth, she gave out a strangled cry, which descended into hysterical hiccups as she reached her hand again and felt the flap, the skin flap that she fingered. She didn't scream, she would not scream. Instead, Cassandra Williams fainted.

If she had stayed conscious long enough, she would have heard the clip clopping of horses hooves coming nearer to her.

"Well, well," one of the Centaurs slurred. "Here's sleeping beauty!"

Ixion smiled darkly. "Bring her back into the house. The party has just started!"

All of the Centaurs cheered and laughed, as they advanced on the fallen and bleeding human.

0000000000

**Cyan's House: **

"What do you mean most of them ended up in the hospital?" Cyan asked Cyc, shocked.

Cyc shrugged his massive shoulders. "Just what I said," he replied. "Apparently, some of them got real wild at the parties they went to, the ones with this Ixion character. There was even a large brawl, as I recall. One Centaur nearly lost a hoof, and another nearly got his entire upper torso torn off."

Cyan's flesh was now creeping, as she thought of her human friend with this Centaur. "Come on!" she cried. "We're going!"

"Going?" Cyc blinked. "But what about the party?"

Cyan glared at him. "Forget this party and think about the other one we're going to!"

Cyc brightened up. "Another party? Cool!"

Cyan groaned. "Just come on! I just hope that I'm wrong about this, and if not, then I hope we're not too late."

"Wrong about what?"

"JUST COME ON!"

0000000000

**Provenance Mansions:**

Cassy stirred, as she groaned and tried to raise her head.

Her eyes were blurred, so she couldn't focus on what was going on around her…but she could hear.

There was a lot of noise, so much so that her ears and head were booming with pain. They were loud sounds of what was obviously a wild party going on.

'Party?'

Suddenly, Cassy remembered what had happened' the party, Nessus, Ixion, the other Centaurs, and the brawl. A sharp sting in her shoulder reminded her of her injury.

Cassy tried to struggle to sit up, but found that her hands and legs had been bound together. She angled her head to the side with difficulty, and saw that her shoulder had been sewed crudely. Garish looking stitches showed her where the gash was.

Cassy blinked her eyes, forcing the mist from her sight, and stared at the scene before her, and tried not to scream.

It was a wild party all right, even more than what she remembered.

Nessus was still lying where she had last seen him, completely unconscious, snoring contentedly, whereas the rest of them room was a different story altogether.

Everywhere she looked, she saw one Centaur or another engaged in some activity. One was standing in a corner with one of the few females she had seen at the party, giving each other some…personal attention.

A group of five Centaurs were on the other side of the room, dancing around wildly, laughing and drinking some of that punch that her head was still recovering from. One laughed and spilled some of the drink from his mouth, as he twirled his massive frame in a circle. If she weren't so terrified then she would be laughing now.

Other Centaurs were doing pretty much the same thing, as she stared about the room, dancing, drinking, shouting and fighting.

She looked down on herself, and shut her eyes in petrifying terror and humiliation.

They had done more than just tied her up, as they had trussed her up like a Christmas turkey. Her clothes had been completely stripped off, leaving her naked and shivering, and they had set her on her knees, with her legs spread apart.

Cassy whimpered, feeling violated and disgraced. They had set her right in the middle of the room like she was a centrepiece at a Thanksgiving dinner.

Suddenly, a loud roar came from the dark end of the room, and Cassy instinctually opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a Minotaur standing behind a pillar, bashing in a Centaur's head. At first, she was overjoyed because she thought that since this was a Minotaur, then it must be a security officer or something, sent by Taurus. Unfortunately, she was soon to be disappointed.

The Minotaur, or what she thought was one, came out from behind the pillar, its 'horse' hooves clopping across the marble floor.

Cassy blinked at the unexpected sight. It was another Centaur! But instead of looking like an ordinary man from the torso up, it had the upper half of a Minotaur.

It was also the largest creature she had ever seen, at least eight and a half feet tall. Its horse half was like that of an old English horse, and its Minotaur half was like that of Taurus, big and muscular. If it were the same height as Cyc, then its muscles would probably be about the same size as his.

It looked just like Taurus, except that its hide and pelt were that of a dark blackness, so dark that its hide seemed to shine blue. No wonder she hadn't noticed him before now, he must have blended in with the shadows well. Golden bull's horns adorned his head, a gold earring in his right ear. He wore nothing, like many of the Centaurs here, except for a golden silk-like substance that was used to tie his beard. The beard itself was long, and the gold string tied his long beard into one long continuous braid.

The Mino-Centaur banged the side of another Centaur's head, knocking him aside, though it was clear that he was not doing it to rescue her. The unfortunate Centaur seemed to have just been there at the wrong place…and at the wrong time.

The Mino-Centaur had grabbed the drink from the fallen Centaur's hand, gulping it down instantly, laughing loud and hoarsely.

Ixion cried out laughing when he saw him, and thumped him affectionately on his back. They talked and laughed for a bit, conversing over things that Cassy didn't really want to know about.

The black Mino-Centaur noticed the sleeping form of Nessus and seemed to ask Ixion about it. A few moments later, he laughed at what Ixion had just said and kicked Nessus in the shoulder, to which he didn't even stir. Apparently the drink had taken more of a toll on him than Cassy thought.

Suddenly, Ixion spotted her looking at them and, realising that she was conscious, whispered something in his companion's ear and pointed over to her direction. The beast stayed still for a moment, and then began to gallop on over to her.

Cassy did not like the look he was giving her, which was a cross between rage and bitterness. She looked at him closely and then noticed something else, something that made her want to pass out again.

It seemed that rage was not the only thing that this creature had on its mind, especially considering what huge thing was dangling below its lower torso.

"No…please," Cassy whimpered almost pathetically. 'Manty,' she cried out in her mind, as if wishing it would make him appear right now.

"Well, what do we have here?" the Mino-Centaur boomed, as it loomed over her.

"Like her?" Ixion leered. "I thought you would. One thing great about this gal, is that you'll never find another one of her kind all over the island!"

Despite being petrified with fear, Cassy couldn't help her curiosity and wondered what kind of a creature he was? She had never seen anything like him before in either her life, or her time on the isle.

The combination Minotaur-Centaur trotted closer to her. He snorted, which produced steam from his nostrils…like a Minotaur.

Cassy stared wide-eyed at him. The Mino-Centaur looked back at her. His onyx eyes narrowed, and he snarled at her. Ixion and every other Centaur backed off to give the creature a wide berth.

The Mino-Centaur reared up close to her. He bent down on his front legs, his muzzle touching her face. It was wet from sweat and saliva, Cassy realised with disgust. The nostrils inflated, as the creature started smelling her face. He went lower, as he took in the scent of the rest of her body.

"Hmm," the creature moaned.

Cassy felt a shiver go up her spine. The creature's voice sounded very deep, menacing…almost like a harsh whisper.

"You smell very nice." He sniffed her again. "Like fresh fruit," he gave her a sneer.

He bent down again and then she saw his wide cow tongue. He licked her on the cheek. "Mmm, you taste good too." He smirked.

Cassy was about to reply, but then the creature cut her off by kissing her deep. She felt his broad tongue go down her throat. Tears of shame welled up in her eyes.

Meanwhile, the Mino-Centaur went down further on his front legs and started kneading her breasts. Cassy could feel a gag come on her, through her throat.

A strong beefy hand tightened around her neck. This time she did gag, as the monster looked at her sternly. He shook his head no, signifying that he didn't want her to gag. His head descended down again, as she felt his enormous tongue fill her mouth again.

'Uhhh,' Cassy sobbed through the creature's version of a French kiss. His groping hands went down to her nether regions, where she felt them pass by her hips. Then she felt a wave of pleasure, as he probed near her clit.

The tears slid down her cheeks. She had never felt so ashamed, so degraded.

Suddenly, he took his tongue out of her mouth, and his hands from her lower regions. She looked towards him and at the massive organ standing fully erect. Like a horse, she saw how it came out from a pouch in his underside. It was pink, it was erect and it was **huge!**

This time, Cassy did scream… "Aaauugghhhh!" She struggled helplessly, but it was no use, he was going to enter her.

The Mino-Centaur chuckled, as he pushed her down on her back, with her legs spread out wide. A couple of other leering Centaurs came forward to hold her down, cupping her breasts as they did so.

The beast walked forth, his great width and mass passing right over her like a dark cloud. Once he was over her, he lowered himself until he was almost crushing her with his terrible mass weight.

Cassy whimpered, as she felt the heat from the tip of his member, just barely touching her.

"Shut up!" the beast commanded in a firm and heated voice. "Don't worry about it," he then added suavely. "Trust me…you're going to love it, _human_!"

Cassy cried, as she felt him getting ready to thrust, with the other Centaurs practically slobbering over her in lust.

"Casssssyyyyy!" boomed a huge powerful voice.

She looked behind the Mino-Centaur, and saw Cyc with Cyan, Manty, Taurus, and Chiron. The two security officers wasted no time, as they started firing their automated bolos at the Centaurs.

Ixion yelped, as he was bided in them. He fell over when his horse legs became entrapped in the bolos.

"Vile filth!" Manty roared. His huge mouth was open with teeth ready to tear into the Mino-Centaur. He pounced onto the creature's shoulder, and raked him with his sharp claws.

The Mino-Centaur roared with pain and outrage. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and threw Manty into a wall.

"Oof!" Manty yelled, as he slumped to the floor.

"Give up, creature!" Taurus roared. He threw a right hook at the creature's face. The Mino-Centaur head snapped up.

He glared at Taurus, his face twisted into a snarl. "Never," he roared back. He got Taurus on the chin. Chiron made a grab for him, but the creature saw him and elbowed him in the face. Chiron grunted, as blood sprayed everywhere from a broken nose.

"Cyc!" Cyan screamed. Her voice was like a high-pitched squeak from the fear she had had of this monster. "Don't just stand there… Help them!"

"Oh…right," he said. He ran into the fray, glaring down at the strange creature.

The Mino-Centaur was throwing punch after punch at Taurus' face. Taurus blocked most of the punches, and returned a few. The creature saw the giant run towards him. He took Taurus by surprise, grabbing him by the waist, and then threw Taurus into Cyc's midsection.

The Cyclops doubled over in pain. The creature used this opportunity to run over to him and deliver an uppercut to his chin.

"No!" Cassy screamed. She saw her friends being pummelled by the unknown New Olympian.

Cyan whinnied in anger. She charged the creature, preparing to tackle him. She received a swift kick from his hind legs, in her midsection. She doubled over, having the wind knocked out her.

The Mino-Centaur turned his head and smirked at her. He shook his head in a 'no-no' gesture.

That was all the time that Cyc needed. He grabbed the Mino-Centaur, Cyc's one eye glaring down at him in rage and hate. He squeezed on him, the Mino-Centaur screaming out in pain.

"Big trouble, freak!" Cyc spoke in hate, uncharacteristic of his usual cheery voice and carefree attitude. "You messed with my friends." Cyc whispered murderously. "Nobody messes with my friends." Cyc snarled and then threw the Mino-Centaur.

"Aaaaaaaahhhh!" The creature screamed, as he flew through the air. He slammed into several decorative pillars, smashing them to pieces. He hit a wall with a sickening crack, as the concrete-like substance caved in, making an impact crater where he landed.

Cyc growled, as he advanced on the fallen creature.

"Grwaaaauuuuuggghhhhrrrr!" The Mino-Centaur got up, charged on Cyc and tackled him to the ground.

"What the…" Cyc exclaimed in surprise, as he felt himself being lifted in the air.

The Mino-Centaur's muscles bulged from the effort. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes from the feat of strength he was doing.

Cassy, Cyan, Chiron, Taurus and Manty stood with gaping mouths at what they were seeing. The Mino-Centaur stood, shaking with effort, as he held a struggling Cyc over his head. Every vein on his muscular body bulged from the effort that he was putting on himself. He gripped Cyc's massive sides, as the teenager could only struggle helplessly.

Then he threw him.

"Graaaaaauuuuuugggghhhhhh!" The creature roared, as he sent Cyc sailing toward his assailants. Manty and Cyan ducked out of the way. Chiron and Taurus weren't so lucky. Cyc crashed into them, sending them all sprawling into the side of the mansion. The wall exploded outward, as the three were sent flying into the front garden.

Manty let loose a lion's roar, as he leapt for the creature. He sunk his teeth into the creature's massive chest. Getting extreme satisfaction, as he roared, and blood trickled down the beast's ebony fur. Cyan for her part delivered kicks from her front legs, intermixed with punches to the torso.

The Mino-Centaur gritted his teeth. He grabbed Manty by the scruff of his neck and Cyan by her arm. He slammed them together, knocking them out.

He soon heard angry shouts from outside. He galloped outside, through the hole that he had made by throwing Cyc. He saw a flame-headed security guard, Helios, leading other security guards. The group was made up of male Harpies, Minotaurs, Centaurs, and an angel-like man that was like Boreas, only human sized. The Mino-Centaur dove under Cyc's massive frame.

The crushing weight made the creature's body ache in unimaginable pain. He heaved Cyc up with all his might. Slowly and steady, he lifted up the unconscious form of Cyc over his head. He gave the security guards a hateful glare.

"Eat this!" The Mino-Centaur boomed, as he ran with Cyc, the giant he used as a battering ram. Several of the security force screamed, as they tried to get away.

Multiple thuds could be heard, as the guards were being knocked over by Cyc's head. Several security guards flew, being pitched forward from Cyc's massive shoulders.

"Rwaaaauuurrr!" The Mino-Centaur roared, as he threw Cyc. Cyc's head hit a nearby building, a crater forming on impact.

He then ran away, galloping on his hooves, roaring into the night.

Cassy opened her eyes suddenly. She shook with fear, as she heard the rage filled roar of the creature.

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Taurus limped up to Cassy. He looked down at her sleeping form. A cold rage filled him, as he saw her tied down, naked with dried tears streaked on her face.

He himself didn't look any better. His right eye was swollen shut, a black eye already forming there. His lip was split, and he had a purple bruise on the side of his muzzle.

He looked to his second, Chiron, who was currently nursing a broken nose, as well as other multiple wounds around his body. He had an unconscious officer, a Minotaur, draped over his shoulder.

"Any word on that…that things' whereabouts?" Taurus asked venomously. His face was a stony countenance, as he looked at Chiron.

Chiron spoke, but with his nose broken, his words sounded distorted. "No, dir, he escaped through the jungle, and he took out most of the decurity dorce."

Taurus growled. "Order a squad of officers to scour the island for that creature. I want him found, and I want him to pay for what he's done here!" He smacked a fist into his open palm.

Chiron nodded. "Yes, dir." he went off to carry out his orders, and drop off his charge to the infirmary.

"Manty?" Taurus went over to the now recovered Mantius. He was attending to an unconscious Centaur.

"Taurus, thank the gods we got here in time!" Manty exclaimed. Tears were shining in his eyes. "What happened he… Cassy!" Manty suddenly became frantic. "Cassy! I have to check up on my dau…my Cassy!" He then ran off towards Cassy who had a blanket over her.

The Manticore gasped at what he saw. She was huddled into a ball. Her peach skin was pale white, but the most disturbing thing was her eyes. Those usually bright blue eyes had a faraway look to them.

"Cassy?" He nudged her.

She turned and a flicker of recognition shone in her eyes. "Daddy!" She launched herself into him. She hugged him tightly around his neck and mane.

Shocked, Manty used his paw to hug her awkwardly. She had never called him 'daddy' before, only Manty. Tears streamed down his face. "Cassy, I'm…so sorry. I shouldn't have let you go to that party. I'm a terrible father." Choked sobs escaped his throat.

"Take me home, daddy." Cassy voice rose. It sounded strangely child-like.

Manty wondered if this is what Cassy sounded like when she was a smaller child. She sounded so vulnerable and desperate.

Taurus came forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Cassy, I'm so sorry about what's happened here…"

Cassy shrieked. "Get away! Get away, you monster! Get away!" She buried her head into Manty's mane and started crying.

Taurus stood shocked. Cassy had never behaved this way towards him. He gave her a remorseful look. The creature that did this would pay, he swore.

"Ooooohhh! My head." Cyc came in stumbling from the hole in the wall. He was bleeding from a nasty gash on his forehead.

Manty released Cassy. Cassy immediately latched onto his torso. "No, daddy, no… Don't let me go."

"Cassy," Manty lovingly stroked the side of her face. "It'll be all right, just let me check that nasty gash on Cyc's forehead."

Cassy meekly nodded her head, and unlatched herself from his torso. She stayed close though.

"Cassy?" Cyan meekly trotted over to Cassy. "Are you…are you all right?"

Cassy started shaking uncontrollably. She went and tugged at Manty's fur.

He stopped treating Cyc's head wound, which wasn't too serious he realized, and looked over at Cassy. "Yes, Cassy?"

"Make her go away, daddy." She pointed at Cyan. "Please, I don't want her anywhere near me."

"Cass!" Cyc gasped, clearly shocked.

"Please, daddy," Tears were streaming down her face. "Make her go away." Cassy's voice sounded like a child-like whine. "I don't want anything to do with her. I hate her!"

Cyan stood there frozen in shock. Her lower lip was trembling, and a tear dropped from her eye. "If that's the way you feel, Cassy. I won't bother you. I hope you feel better soon."

Cassandra Williams teeth clenched. "Go away," she hissed. She walked over to Cyan and gave her an open handed slap.

"Cassy, stop, that's enough!" Manty said, clearly shocked at his young ward's reaction. She was acting more like a baby than a teenager.

"Cassy, please," Cyc pleaded, sounding desperate. "She's our friend."

Cassy turned to Manty. "Daddy, please," her voice rose in that child-like whine, "I just wanna go home! I just wanna go home!"

Cyan sniffled back some tears. "It's all right, Manty. I understand."

Cassy hugged Manty tightly. She glared at Cyan and Taurus through hate filled eyes. "Go," she snarled.

Manty looked at them helplessly.

Taurus nodded his head sadly, and took Cyan's hand, leading her away, but not before giving Cassy one final pitying look.

Cassy broke into tears and cried into Manty's mane, with him holding her gently and totally at a loss of how to proceed.

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**Manty's Apartment;**

**Five Hours Later: **

Cassy shivered uncontrollably, even though she was asleep. It had taken Manty over 4 hours to get her to calm down and get into bed, and even then she had never let him out of her sight. She had latched onto him, refusing to let him leave her until she had finally fallen asleep, and even then she had woken up a few hours later, screaming for him.

Manty growled in frustration. He had never had to deal with a situation like this before in his entire life. He was a doctor, not a psychiatrist.

Manty scraped his claws across the hard marble surface of the apartment floor, as he thought of how all this had come to be. He had stupidly allowed his adopted daughter to go that party, filled with young male Centaurs.

"Zeus damn it!" Manty snarled, as he reached up and banged his paw against the floor, nearly fracturing it in the process.

He couldn't believe he had been so stupid to do that. Everyone knew how dangerous Centaurs were when they got drunk, which was the reason why it was forbidden for them to consume alcohol.

If he had only known whom that cousin of Cassy's boyfriend…correction, _ex_-boyfriend…was, then he would have never permitted her to go. As a doctor, he had had a number of cases where a patient had been involved in some sort of scuffle involving a Centaur, or a Centaur party. And in almost each one of them, Ixion's name had been brought up, but they had never had enough evidence to implicate him.

'None until now,' Manty thought with a slight grin. Ixion had been charged with illegal ownership and handling of alcohol. The rest of the Centaurs had been more than eager to implicate him, in order to lessen their own charges. It would be a looooong time before he would ever have the chance to hold another wild party.

It was only too unfortunate that they hadn't implicated him any sooner.

Manty sighed. He knew that things could have been a lot worse, as they had arrived in time to prevent Cassy's rape from that…that thing.

He knew that Taurus had spent the last few hours searching through the island's database for anything about the bizarre creature, and Manty had called in a favour from his sister to see if she knew anything about some kind of Minotaur-Centaur. She was always in on the gossip, and knew the word on the street, but she had yet to come back to him on that. So far, he had had no luck in locating any file on such a being.

'Ironic,' Manty thought. 'You'd think that a creature like that would stick out, even on New Olympus.' Since all Olympians went through genetic tempering, when they married someone not of their own species, all their children were born purebreds. There had never been a case of any child being born as a complete combination of two races, which was obviously what this creature had been.

The real irony however was when Cassy called him 'daddy'. Ever since he had taken her in and raised her as his own child, he had loved her as such, but she had never called him anything like daddy before. She had always just referred to him as Manty, and that was it. Manty had accepted it because he knew that try as he might; he could never replace her father in her eyes.

'And yet last night she called me daddy,' he thought bitterly. He had got his wish, only for it to be thrown in his face. She was obviously in shock, and her poor fragile mind had sought him out as the one thing she could turn to, and who would take care of her.

He still couldn't believe how she had reacted to Cyan. The two of them had been best friends for years now, they were almost never apart.

'It's just shock,' he told himself mentally. 'She'll come around in time, once she's had a chance to adapt.'

Somehow though, that didn't bring him much comfort.

"MANTY!" Cassy's voice screamed for him from her room, to which he hurried.

Cassy was hugging the covers of her bed to her chest in sheer fright; her eyes wide open and scared. As soon as Manty came in, she threw herself against his chest, tears streaming down her face.

"The…the thing," she blubbered. "The thing was here!"

The thing was what she and everyone else was calling the Mino-Centaur that had tried to rape her, since no one knew what his identity was.

"Shhh," Manty tried to soothe her. "It's alright, Cassy. It was just a dream, nothing more."

Never in his whole life with her, had Manty ever seen Cassy so vulnerable. She had always been so strong in her mind, never wanting to let people get the best of her. And in one tragic night, she had had her strength stripped away from her.

Manty swore that the 'thing' would pay dearly for his crime, this he swore on his life.

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**Cyan's Home: **

Cyan eyes dripped with tears, as she crouched on her bed, her face buried in the pillows.

A knock sounded on the door, but she chose to ignore it.

"Cyan?" Cyc's voice whispered through the door, as it slowly opened, his eye peeking in, as he was too big to get through the doorway.

"Please, Cyc," Cyan cried. "Just leave me alone."

"Come on, Cy," Cyc all, but pleaded. "I know Cassy didn't mean what she said. She was just too upset to be thinking clearly."

"She knew what she was saying," Cyan said adamantly. "She had to!"

Cyc sighed, wishing he were small enough to get into the room so that he could comfort his friend. "She'd nearly been raped, Cyan. You can't expect her to be thinking straight so soon after something like that."

Cyan refused to listen, as all she could remember were the words, 'I hate you,' sounding in her ears.

Cyc sighed again and began to close the door. "I'll be out here if you need me?" he said, but Cyan was too busy crying her heart out to listen.

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**Cassy and Manty's Apartment;**

**Next Morning: **

Cassy shook, trembling, as she tried to steady her hand to sip her tea, with Manty watching her earnestly.

"Cassy?" he began. "Maybe you should think about booking an appointment with one of the local psychiatrists, talk to them about what happened?"

"No!" Cassy said, shaking her head furiously. "I don't need to speak with anyone!"

Manty sighed. "Then how about you ring up Cyan and Cyc, talk with…"

"NO!" Cassy exploded. "I don't ever want to talk to either of them ever again!"

"Why?" Manty growled. "Just a short while ago, the three of you were inseparable. Now, you won't even speak about them. Why?"

Cassy stayed silent.

Manty put his paw over her hand. "Cassy?"

Cassy pulled her hand back. "I just don't want to talk to them… They…" She didn't say.

"They weren't there for you," Manty finished for her. "And I'm also willing to bet that because Cyan is a Centaur like…like the one who hurt you, and Taurus looks just like him… You resent them for it?"

Cassy seemed to glare at him, but said nothing.

Manty gave another deep sigh. "How disappointing." He said, as he got up.

"What?" Cassy asked in confusion.

Manty gave her another sad look. "I was thinking about how disappointing what you've just said has had made me feel. You refuse to go near Cyan and Taurus, one who was your best friend and another, who you even had a crush on as I believe?" He smirked a little at that.

Cassy's fists tightened.

Manty sighed. "I know of your despair, Cassy. I mean, Zeus I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through right now. But I know what you've had to go through these past few years with my fellow Olympians."

Manty walked over to her and once more put his paw over her hand in comfort. "Have you forgotten all the endless nights when you would come home from school and cry into your pillow because of what your school chums had said to you, because of what you are?"

Cassy sniffed. "What kind of question is that?" she retorted, "How could I possibly forget?"

"Do you remember some of the words they used to say to you?"

"I remember every one!" Cassy bit back tears, as she remembered the way some of the kids used to crowd around her, taunting her of her lineage and sometimes for not being as bright as they were.

"And what were they?" Manty pressed on.

Manty bit her lower lip. "Basically, most of them just said that because I was human, I was nothing but filth because of all the pain and hurt my race had caused."

"They blamed you for the things that your kind had done?" Manty asked.

Cassy paused for a moment, and then nodded.

"Did you think that was right of them to do so?"

Cassy shook her head.

"Why not?" Manty asked, as he cocked his head at her.

Cassy blinked the tears back, but these were tears of shame, as she slowly began to understand where Manty was going with this. "Because…because I didn't do anything to them. It was my race that hurt theirs, but I myself never did anything to them."

"And do you think that was right of them to do so?"

Cassy took deep shallow breaths, and shook her head.

"Do you think it was right of you to do the exact same thing to Cyan and Taurus, just because they resemble the one who hurt you?"

Cassy didn't say anything, and just sat there, gazing into nothing.

Manty stayed still for a moment, waiting to see if she would speak, but after a while, he sighed and stood back up.

"I have to go buy some groceries for dinner," Manty told her. "I won't be long, but… In the meantime, why don't you take a lie down and think about what we've just talked about, okay?"

Cassy still didn't say anything, so Manty just kissed her on her cheek and left.

Cassy sat there, her fists clenched so tight that her knuckles had turned white. She had gone from in shock, depressed, confused and now, downright angry.

She was angry at Cyan for being a Centaur, and angry with herself for thinking that, and having said to her best friend the same things that had been said to her most of her life. She was furious with Manty for speaking with her and making her see the error of her thoughts, confusing her even more. But most of all, she was enraged at one particularly being that even now she wanted to find above all else.

Cassy got up from her seat, walked over to the kitchen counter…and picked up a knife from the rack.

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**Somewhere down New Olympus Market: **

Manty frowned, as he walked through the market stalls and shops. He hoped that his talk with Cassy had helped, but until she actually called and talked to Cyan, then there was little else he could do.

A small chime ringed along his mane, coming from his radio transmitter, making him stop.

He touched the small button-like transmitter to activate it. "Manty here," he spoke into the receiver.

_Manty? _Taurus's voice came through. _We've been searching through all the databanks, but so far we've found zilch on this Minotaur-Centaur thing. There's no record of any such creature being born on the entire island. _

"That's absurd," Manty snorted. "This island isn't exactly small, but it's not huge either. He can't have just appeared out of thin air?" A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Could he have been a shape shifter?"

_Hmmm… It is possible. However, our security checks indicate that no shape shifters were in any close proximity near the Centaur manor when the offence took place. _

Manty frowned. "Well, then I'm at a loss. If he wasn't a shape shifter, and there's no record of any of his kind before, then where in Tartarus did he…" He stopped. "Say, Taurus?"

_Yes? _

"Could you do me another favour?" Manty asked. "Could you check your database again, and check to see if you can find any old cases involving Centaur and Minotaur couples, about say up to twenty years ago? Maybe if there was such a couple, they may have decided to keep their child's existence for some reason?"

_Affirmative… Oh, wait a moment! _There was a pause where Taurus sounded as though he were conversing with someone on the other end, and it was definitely a heated conversation. After a while, Taurus added. _Manty? I think we may have a problem? Where's Cassy? _

"Cassy?" Manty blinked in surprise. "I left her at home, why?"

_Good. _Taurus's voice sounded regretful. _There's something you should know, friend. I'm sorry, but it's about Ixion… _

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Cassy walked the streets of New Olympus, some Olympians sparing her a look, but otherwise leaving her alone. She walked with the knife she had taken from the kitchen, inside her jacket, concealed from everyone.

She didn't know where she was going, as she had no idea where to look for the guy who had hurt her, and even more so, she had no idea of what she would do when she did.

"Hey, Ixion!" a voice sounded behind her, making her freeze.

Cassy slowly turned around, and saw the person she was least eager to see… Ixion.

But still, seeing him was enough to make her blood boil and turn sour.

He was talking with a small Gorgon, but seemed to be in a rush to be somewhere else.

Ixion finished talking to the Gorgon and went on his way. Curious, Cassy started to follow him. She kept her pace so that no one would see her following the Centaur.

When he trotted out of the city, she wondered just where he was going. He was going into the deep jungle/marsh lands that were on the outskirts of the city, lands that most New Olympians stayed away from.

Thousands of years ago, when the New Olympians had first come to this island, they brought with them some of their wild animals too, animals that were said to have been created by the Gods themselves. In here, in these jungles, only the strongest and bravest Olympians would go to hunt for sport.

Cassy looked around and jumped, as she saw a bright blue lizard run off. She shook her head and pressed on. Ixion seemed to be going deep into these jungles. About fifteen minutes into their little walk, they came to a large shack, made entirely of wood. It was more like a large cabin, and a Cyclops could've probably fit into it. But despite its large size, the cabin was concealed thoroughly by large vines and strange purple flowers. From a distance, it would have been impossible to see.

Ixion knocked on the door. And to Cassy's shock, the last person…correction, the person she _most_ wanted to see, opened the door. The large Mino-Centaur opened the door for Ixion. They talked for a bit, and then Ixion walked in. The door slammed shut. 'Not a person,' she thought bitterly, 'a monster.'

Cassy waited patiently in the bush for what seemed like an eternity. She over heard a few words, like Ixion had to get going, as he wasn't allowed out of the city or they'd throw him back in jail. The door suddenly opened on the large cabin and Ixion walked out. She waited until she heard the distinctive clip-clop of his hooves fade away, as he rushed off.

Cassy then took a few deep breaths. She stepped out of her shoes. 'This is it, this is what I wanted…' She got out of the bush slowly. Quietly and with careful steps, she crept closer and closer to the cabin. She kept close to the ground.

She was shaking with fear. Her eyes were shut. A few more calming breaths and a quick prayer, she then ever so slowly stood up. With her back still to the wall, she carefully took a small peek through the window.

The Mino-Centaur had his back to her. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she could hear the break of bones. Cassy winced. Whatever it was he was killing, she hoped it wasn't her that was next. Without making a sound, she climbed inside through the window.

With light feet, she slowly inched her way forward towards the huge beast. He seemed to be busy chewing on something, as she could hear tearing noises. He greedily swallowed whatever it was that he was eating. As long as it kept him distracted.

What she didn't notice was how his ears twitched.

She was right at the back of him now. Cassy raised the large knife high… 'Die, you bastard!' she screamed in her mind, and brought it down…

… And was shocked to find his massive hand holding her wrist above her. He squeezed gently, but firmly, which was enough to make Cassy drop the knife.

The creature spoke again in its harsh whisper of a voice. "I wouldn't try that again, girlie, if I were you." It turned around with Cassy hanging from the vice grip he had her in.

"How did you…"

"I could hear you, girlie," he tapped his nose, "and I could smell you too. That peaches scent you have is very distinctive." He gave her a growl. "I bet you didn't know Minotaurs and Centaurs have better senses then your average human, eh?"

Cassy could slap herself. Of course she remembered how some New Olympians had better senses than others. She had once asked Taurus and he had said his eyesight wasn't as good as hers, but his hearing and sense of smell was superior to her own. It would figure that a creature with combined characteristics of a Minotaur and Centaur would have their abilities too.

The Mino-Centaur sneered at her. "And they probably forgot to tell you that I'm much stronger than either race." He gave a small squeeze on her wrists, to which Cassy groaned. She wouldn't give this thing the satisfaction of hearing her scream though.

The creature used its other hand to slap her on the face. He probably didn't mean to be so forceful, but had made Cassy's nose and mouth gush out with blood. Her whole face ached, but she looked at him defiantly.

He threw her to the floor, her butt aching from the impact. "Now stay there while I finish my meal." He ordered.

Cassy, terrified, complied. He then turned from her, and again looked to his meal.

Now that she could see it, she cringed. It was a very large boar. It seemed to be cooked rather thoroughly, except that she see it had all the trimmings…literally. It still had its fur on, now burnt to a crisp, and its head was still intact with its mouth hanging open. He grabbed one of its hind legs, and with one mighty pull he tore off the appendage and some of the accompanying meat.

She cringed even more when she saw the thing eat the boar's leg voraciously. Her mouth hung open.

She felt something land in her lap… She looked down and screamed, as it was one of the pig's ears, mixed together with some of the purple herb that she had seen growing outside around the shack. And then she felt a sharp tug of her hair, as the creature brought her up to his eye level.

"Eat," he rumbled in her face. He then threw her down.

Cassy reluctantly picked up the pig's ear, and after forcible effort, started chewing on it. She fought back the lurching in her stomach, as she started swallowing the 'meal'.

"You should've stayed where you were, little girl." The creature said suddenly.

"Are you, are you going to kill me?" Cassy asked in a meek voice.

"You tried to kill me," he retorted.

"You tried to rape me," her voice shook with emotion. She felt her anger rising up, as she pointed an accusatory finger at him, but stopped when he came forward and grabbed her hand.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Cassy bit her lip, so as not to scream.

The Mino-Centaur had taken her finger, along with the rest of them, and bent them back uncomfortably. The look he gave her said it… "If you don't shut up now, I'm going to break them…" He released her.

"Achilles does what he wants, and not you or any other Olympian is going to say what he can and can't do…" He growled at her. He then pinched her nose, making even more blood spill out, and she howled in pain.

"Achilles? Is that your name?" Cassy asked. "All right, he's in control, so now what?" Cassy rubbed her aching nose. She looked at Achilles warily.

"You and all New Olympians think you're better than me, but I showed them," he laughed amused.

"Why? What do you mean?" Cassy asked.

"Your friends tried to save you, but I put them and those security people in their place." Achilles gave her a feral smile.

"What did you?" Cassy asked. She couldn't remember what had happened at the mansion, as she had been unconscious at the time. A shiver of fear ran up her spine for her friends… No, ex-friends.

"Nothing much, just beat them up." Achilles gave out a hearty laugh.

"You, you monster!" She got up and punched him in the face. He stood with a smirk on his face, motionless, while she reached for her hand and hissed in pain. Hitting him was like hitting a brick wall!

He suddenly gripped her throat, nearly cutting off the oxygen. "Monster? You wanna hear about monsters? I'll tell you about a monster, two monsters in fact! It all starts off about a little boy…"

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_**New Olympus, 20 Years Prior:**_

_In a grand mansion, a couple waited happy news of the new addition to their family. _

_Raon paced back and forth outside his bedroom. The large Minotaur heard the harsh cries of his wife, as she gave birth to their child. One of the midwives was attending to Narcissa, as they didn't dare call a doctor. If Kor or any of the other authorities heard of their mating, then neither of them would have any peace, and Raon could kiss his election campaign goodbye. _

_It was not that a pairing between a Minotaur and a Centaur was forbidden, far from it, as many Olympians mated with one another. The reason being was that when two Olympians of different races, like he and Narcissa, chose to be together, they underwent genetic tampering that would ensure that all their children would be born either purebred Centaurs, or purebred Minotaurs. It was the New Olympian way of ensuring the survival of all species, for if all Olympians mated with one another, then eventually there might not be any purebreds left._

_It was a good solution, Raon thought, with only one small problem… He and Narcissa had been so eager to be together that they failed to go get their treatments before mating, and then Narcissa had gotten pregnant. _

_Raon remembered the day when they had found out that Narcissa was expecting. Most soon to be parents, once finding out, would have been ecstatic with joy, but for him and his wife, the news had been like a deathblow. Without the treatments, there was no way in knowing what this child was going to turn out like. _

_Raon thought of that fool Brontes who had fallen in love with a Harpy. They had been talking about having children in the future, but not yet. Raon felt envious of Brontes, as he was a Cyclops, and for some reason, Cyclops didn't have to undergo the genetic treatments, since all their children, no matter who they mated with, were always born purebred Cyclops._

'_Lucky bastards,' he muttered under his breath. _

"_AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" _

_Raon winced, as he heard Narcissa's screams of pain. They had decided not to go with a doctor. They decided to have children the old fashioned way, by natural childbirth, just in case the child did turn out to be 'not normal'. _

"_AAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" _

_When he couldn't stand it any longer, he heard the cries. The loud infant cries of his baby._

_The door opened and out came the Harpy… The mid-wife looked sick. She had her clawed talons over her mouth, and appeared to be in shock._

_Raon heard the strong cries of his son. For he knew it was a son. What else could cry so loudly and forcefully? Tears of joy ran down his face, as he turned to the mid-wife._

"_How is he?" he asked._

_The Harpy cringed. "He is fine, Raon." She forced a smile on her face. "He is a strapping male. Now if you'll excuse me…" The Harpy hurried off away from the cries of the infant._

_Raon was confused. He hurried inside and shut the door in his wake. A few moments later, a howling wail could be heard… "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

**New Olympus, 5 Years Later**

_Picus, the old Satyr, sauntered up to a beautiful Centaur woman who was decked in fine silks and gold jewellery. He took in her elegant black coat. She was currently in a conversation with an angel man. She laughed musically._

_Picus tapped her on the shoulder. "So, Narcissa, how have you been?"_

_The elegant Centaur turned around. "Oh, I've been wonderful, Picus. You?"_

_The old satyr gave her a roguish smile. "Quite good, my dear lady. I still dabble occasionally."_

_Narcissa gave another light laugh. "Picus, you old coot, you will never change." _

"_Still talking with this old coot, my dear?" Raon joined his wife's side, as he put a hand on her shoulder and hugged her close to his body._

_Picus smiled at the happy couple. "You two are just so happy together. It's too bad that your son past away…"_

_Raon's smile faltered. "Please, Picus, let's not talk about such unpleasantness now. Let us enjoy the party."_

_"Of course, Raon." He bowed to Narcissa, "My Lady."_

"_Picus." Narcissa bowed her head to him, one of New Olympus' Senators. She then turned to her husband. "So, dear husband, would you care to join in me in celebrating these festivities?" _

_Raon kissed her hand. "Of course, my dear." They then took to the dance floor and danced for hours._

**_A Few Hours Later:_**

_Narcissa opened the door. She climbed up the steps to the attic and noticed the ruin in which it was in. She wrinkled her nose. The room reeked of urine, feces, and body odour. Much of the elegant decorations that had been stored here were covered in dust. She then heard the rattling._

_A creature's cries reached her ears. "Momma! Momma, please let me out. I wanna be let out." Its hands, covered in grime and its own filth, was gripping the bars of the cage._

_Narcissa looked on at the creature in disgust. "Shut up! I've come here to bring you this." She took the bag she was carrying and dumped its contents out. Inside was half eaten foods stuff, pieces of fruit that had been in the garbage rotting in there for days. _

_Little Achilles reached out his hands and grabbed the garbage. He began eating the food ravenously, eating noisily and swallowing the food in whole gulps._

_Narcissa took in the child's appearance. It, for it was an, had its blackish blue fur matted from lack of tending. She could see the white lice jumping around in its fur. The things eyes were bloodshot. She sighed in impatience. Its eyes were bloodshot because it had probably been crying again._

_Thank goodness none of the party members had heard it. They always made sure to keep this thing away from the people. They could never find out. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I hope you choke on that food, freak!"_

_She then turned and left. When he was sure she was gone, Achilles let loose the choking sobs that he had held in his body. The rotted food in his mouth dribbled down his fur, as he wept._

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_Raon grabbed the boy by the scruff of his hair and slammed his head into the wall. He looked at the boy with hatred in his eyes. "Can't you do anything right, retard!" he roared. Raon, in his **infinite** sympathy and compassion for Achilles, had taken it upon himself to teach the boy how to read._

_Unfortunately, the boy just didn't want to learn how to. The boy was obviously stupid._

"_Ten years now," Raon growled at Achilles, "ten years and you still can't do something as simple as read."_

_The boy desperately wiped away his tears. "I'm sorry, daddy. I'm trying, it's just that you make me nervous…" *Whap!* Blood flew from Achilles lip, as Raon slapped him._

_The larger Minotaur got in the Mino-Centaur's face. "What was that, idiot? I, in my graciousness, try to teach you how to read and you tell me it's my fault you can't read!" Raon cracked his knuckles. "I think it's time I taught you a lesson, boy."_

_Achilles eyes went wide. "No wait, please don't… AAAUUUGGGGHHH!" *BAM!*… "OW, NO STOP, YOU'RE HURTING ME!"… *BAM!*… "AAAUUUGGGH! DADDY, PLEASE!"… *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*_

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"_WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO!" roared Narcissa. She gripped Achilles' muzzle and squeezed hard…_

_Achilles stood trembling outside his cage. On his underside, the yellow drops of urine were dribbling down onto the attic floor._

_Narcissa pulled him forward hard by his muzzle. "Answer me." she hissed. _

_Tears were streaming down Achilles face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it anymore."_

_She narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you to hold it in, retard, until me and Raon came back from the party." _

"_Ohhh!" Achilles sobbed. "I'm sorrrry." _

_Narcissa tossed him backwards. The look she gave him was one of pure unadulterated hatred. "Not as sorry as you're going to be when I tell Raon what you've been doing." She turned and then trotted away._

_Achilles curled in on himself and starting sobbing once more, as he knew that there was no hope, no future. Those two monsters would end his sorry existence soon. And in a way he welcomed it._

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"But death was not my destiny, Cassandra Williams." The large creature, known as Achilles, spoke solemnly. His eyes were hard and misty. Tears were threatening to spill. But the large behemoth wouldn't allow this. He furiously wiped away at them.

"Soon they…"

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"_Please don't, Mom, Dad…" Achilles looked at the two indifferent creatures before him. Raon had his arm locked into a vice grip, as he dragged the hybrid along. They were taking farther and farther into the woods._

"_We are sick and tired of your whining," Narcissa said. "We've had to put up with it for fifteen years. I'm tired of having to sleep knowing that there was a filthy monster there. And now that we have our baby Alejandra, we need to dedicate ourselves to her. So out you go."_

_After they had had the genetic treatment, like they should have done in the first place, they had had a beautiful and normal Centaur daughter called Alejandra. Narcissa had shown Achilles pictures of her, to show what a cute baby she was. She was beautiful, compared to the ugly monster that he was. _

_Raon looked to Achilles and spoke. "Narcissa is right. Now that we have her, we can't take care of you anymore. So out with you!" He forcefully shoved Achilles away from them. The boy landed in heap._

_As they were leaving, Raon felt something tug at his legs, he turned and saw the beast there._

"_Please don't leave. Please! I'll stay quiet and let you beat me. But please don't leave me here alone! " Achilles pleaded and pleaded with them. But it was to no avail. Raon shook him off._

"_Ugh, have some dignity. We've done all we can for you. Now it's up to you to see if you can survive. Goodbye!" and with that, both Narcissa and Raon left._

"_Mother! Father!" Achilles collapsed to the ground and began to weep. He wept for the first of many nights to come._

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Cassy stared wide-eyed at Achilles. The silence engulfed them, as she pondered about his past. She really didn't know what to say. The violence, the anger, could it all be just a product of a misunderstood individual with a tragic past? Steady low breathing interrupted her reverie.

Dead silence gripped them, as they stared each other down. The crackling of a low dying flame was the only sound heard. She was starting to feel warm and tried to gauge the look in his eyes. His dark face was twisted in a mix of anger, confusion, and sadness. His deep brown eyes betrayed a look of immense sorrow.

"What, what are you going to do to me now?" she asked nervously. She knew, of course, what he was going to do. His large erection, near the back of his horse half showed that. She suddenly felt very flushed, the room though was not particularly hot.

His frown deepened, as the lines of brow creased. "I think you know what I'm going to do, girl. So why ask?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry." Cassy slowly got up and cautiously walked towards him. The creature gave a neigh of alarm and reared back, causing her to pause a second. She held up her hands in a placating gesture, and crossed the distance before them.

The height difference before her was daunting. She was petite, although in the human world she would have been considered average height, but here amidst the Mino-Centaur's presence, she barely came up to his waist.

"Look," she got up on her tips, and put a hand to his cheek, "I know you've had a hard life, but it's not too late to change. You can stop being an outcast and reintegrate yourself into society."

He inhaled through his wet nostrils and blew out a puff of steam. He grabbed her wrist a bit forcefully and put it by her side. "I don't think so," he said, shaking his head. "The people here don't accept me for being…different." He looked down at his horse's body.

Cassy could sympathise being that she was in the same predicament. She sighed again, as she felt the room getting hotter, and she then came to a decision.

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**Cyan's Place; **

**A Couple of Hours Later: **

Manty straightened out his mane with his forepaw, as he nervously waited for the door to be answered. He knocked again. Then he heard someone bang his head and curse for the house being too small? The door opened, and he found himself looking at a large blue green muscular leg. He looked up and found Cyc rubbing his one eye. The teenage Cyclops had on his tight fitting Speedo, and nothing else.

Which made sense, Manty thought, as most Cyclops wore pretty much the same, the cold (if there ever had been on the isle) having little effect on their tough muscular hides. And Cyc, Manty saw, had always been a tad on the large side. He yawned, and Manty saw a large cavern where he could fit himself in.

"Manty, do you know what time it is?" Cyc asked sleepily.

Manty didn't really question what Cyc was doing in Cyan's house. He really didn't have the time. Maybe he'd talk to them later, but not now. "Cyc, have you seen Cassy?"

Cyc stopped rubbing his eye, the sleep having gone out of his system. "No, last I heard she was yelling that she never wanted to see us again. Why?" He looked at the Manticore with a curious eye.

"She disappeared earlier this morning. I went out to do an errand, and when I came back, she was gone. Have you seen her?" Manty looked hopefully to Cyc.

Cyc's muscular body tensed. He didn't like the sound of that. "No, I haven't seen her since she yelled at Cyan." He rubbed at his chin and narrowed his eye. "Do you think she could have walked out to get some air or somethin'?"

"Do you think she could have gone after Ixion and his buddies?" Manty mentioned distractedly.

"I don't think so, Manty. I mean, they are like twice her size," Cyc rubbed the back of his neck, "No way she'd be that foolish."

"Oh," Manty gave him a curious look. "And what, may I ask, would you call the time when she went after Proteus by herself, when he escaped and hurt Taurus?"

Cyc's face seemed to pale a little. 'Oh Zeus,' he thought. 'Please no, tell me she didn't.'

"Guys?" A tired voice came through from the back, as Cyan came in, the distinctive clip clop of her hooves noticeable. She wore no cover over her torso. Manty looked away from the teenager, blushing. Oh yes, he would **definitely **have to talk with these two. He tried to compose himself and hide his reaction.

Cyc caught his look though and quickly spoke up. "Oh, uh, it's not what you think," he explained apprehensively, "I just slept over to help Cyan, and…and I slept here."

"What you do on your own time is your own business, guys." Manty whispered harshly. "You are a little young, but I'm sure you know what you're doing."

Cyan's eyes went wide, as the implication hit her. "No! Cyc really **was **trying to help me sleep."

"Oh, I'm sure." Manty snorted. Cyc and Cyan both grimaced.

"That…didn't come out right." Cyan began to twirl her finger in her hair. "My parents are just upstairs, Manty. Do you really think I would disrespect their house like that?"

"Anyway," Manty began, "you haven't heard from Cassy, have you?"

Cyan crossed her arms. "What," Cyan raised an eyebrow, "miss 'I hate you and all your race' isn't home?"

"You know she didn't mean what she said, Cyan."

Cyan waved a hand. "I know she meant it, Manty, and it's okay." The Centaur rubbed her shoulders with her hands. "She's human," her voice cracked, "and we all know humans and New Olympians don't mix. I'm sure she's fine." Cyan finished with a wave of her hand.

"Cyan…" Cyc began.

"No, Cyc, it's how Cassy feels." Cyan shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine."

Cyc shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, girl, but I'm going with Manty to go look for her."

She walked up to him and patted one of his tree trunk legs. "You do that. Go on… I'll be fine…"

"If you say so." Cyc shrugged, still unsure. He turned to Manty. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Don't you want to get dressed?" Manty asked.

Cyc gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind, let's go." Manty motioned him to follow. After the Manticore went out the door, Cyc followed, having to bend down, so as not to hit the doorframe.

0000000000

**Achilles' Home; Same Time: **

Cassy looked at her handiwork and smiled. A piece of cooked boar was before her. It had taken her hours to prepare, but pretty soon the fruit of her labour was done. She took in the rich aroma of the meat and felt her stomach grumble. She tore off a piece and tasted it. It was a bit much for just lunch, but she had soon found out that Achilles had a large appetite.

She had decided to stay with Achilles, for a while. When… Actually, she couldn't exactly remember when she had decided to stay. For some reason, her head felt so cloudy, like it was swimming. Was it this morning, yesterday, or last week? She couldn't, for the life of her, remember.

She decided to concentrate on preparing the meal for now and, slowly, she let the meat's flavour settle into her mouth. Carefully, she chewed. 'Good', but it still needed more of that spice. She tore off a leave of a blue grey tint that looked almost like sage, yet it held a lemon type flavour to it.

Good, honey, now you add some oregano to the chicken breast. And now we are going to put this in the oven while we wait for daddy to come.

_Yes, mommy._

Cassy opened her eyes and then wiped her brow of the sweat that was forming. She felt hot, **very** hot for some reason. _Okay, I was cooking for a couple of hours, so no big deal. _Yet she didn't know why, but…she had felt very hot since coming to Achilles' place. She gripped her trembling hand. What was wrong with her? She felt very hot, her whole body was trembling, and for some reason her vision was blurring.

The door opened, as Achilles came trudging through with a second boar that he must have hunted down. Cassy winced, as she saw he was covered in blood. He gave a grunt. Cassy immediately took the platter and put it on the old wooden table.

"Do you want to get cleaned first?" The only response she got was a grunt (no). She had no idea where the blood came from, as the boar didn't have that much on it. She did figure out though that it wasn't his. And she really didn't want to know.

He grabbed the meat in his large palms and ripped it in half. Then he began tearing piece after piece into his mouth and stuffing it in his face.

Cassy looked down at the bloody boar on the platter and shrugged. Hey, she wasn't hungry. She noticed the strange purple herb that he had brought in with his kill. Surprisingly, he had cleaned that off. She took a whiff and noticed the sweet smelling aroma that wafted off the plant.

The Mino-Centaur grunted and said something about the food he was eating, getting a few morsels on Cassy in the process… She realized that he wanted her to take a bite. Gingerly, she nipped a leaf of the herb and found it did indeed taste good. Not unlike mint, she tore off another piece of the plant chewed it like a person would tobacco. It did seem like she had tried this before, but she didn't know where. Instead she relaxed, as her anxiety melted away.

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**Security Centre: **

Taurus looked up from his paperwork, as he heard someone signal him. "What is it, Manty?" He wanted to work on this case where a lot of New Olympians were getting hurt in illegal fights, but he knew this had something to do with Cassy and she took priority.

"Taurus, I can see you're busy, but I need help… Cassy, she's missing." Manty finished weakly.

"How long has she been missing for?" Taurus got up. He took a notepad and started fingering the controls on the screen.

"Just for about half a day, but she's never gone for so long without telling me, and she hates to go out anyway… Something's wrong… I just know it. She hasn't been herself since she went to that party at Ixion's." He mentioned the younger Centaur's name with venom. "Cyc and Cyan are out looking for her, but so far, they haven't found anything."

"I'll get my people on it." Taurus tried to quell the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why hadn't he seen it? He berated himself. People who suffered trauma had to be watched. When his father was murdered, he had felt his world crumble, and had wanted to join him.

_What if Cassy wanted that type of escape? _No, he couldn't, **wouldn't **think that. Right now, the important thing is finding Cassy.

"Then come on," Manty waved over Taurus, "Cyc and Orin are already waiting for us."

"Good," Taurus replied. "Oh and by the way, just so you know, Ixion is back behind bars."

"Oh?" Manty asked, with a barely hidden sigh of relief and a grin. "I thought his parents had gotten him out on bail?"

Taurus nodded. "The terms of his bail were that he would stay in the confides of the city, and not venture out, for any reason. I had some witnesses say they saw him going out into the jungle. That alone gives me the right to lock him up again, this time _without_ bail."

Many did grin then. "That maybe the first bit of good news I've had all day." He replied. "Oh, have you found anything about any Centaur or Minotaur couples, like I asked?"

Taurus shook his head. "Sorry, but no. We checked and there have been a number of Centaur and Minotaur pairings, many of whom had children, but none fit the description of what we fought at the mansion. As you know, thanks to genetic engineering, when two beings, such as a Centaur and a Minotaur, mate, their offspring always ends up as being one or the other. The couple either get a nearly purebred Centaur, or a nearly purebred Minotaur. There's never been a case of an offspring being an exact half of each."

"Damn it!" Manty swore. Somehow, he knew that finding this beast would be the key to finding his daughter.

0000000000

Cassy grimaced, as she tried to push off Achilles from her. He was savagely kissing her neck and touching her breasts. Earlier, he had ripped off the top of her blouse.

"No, Achilles, not like that." She tried her calmest, most soothing voice. "You have to be gentle."

He roughly started trailing his kisses down to her breasts. He spoke with a voice heavy with lust, "Oh come on, don't I excite you?"

She groaned when his grip on her arms became too tight. "Not when you are being so rough, no! Pleeeaaase," she gently pushed him away, "gently." She rose up on her tips and kissed him. A low growl rumbled from his chest to his throat.

0000000000

**A Few Hours Later;**

**On the Outskirts of New Olympus: **

"Cassy!" Taurus called out. He looked around and found nothing, but marshland. The muck they were walking in was up to his waist.

"Hey, you need a lift, Taurus?" a big booming voice called down to him. Taurus looked up and saw Orinaeus' concerned face looming over him.

"No thank you, Orin." The Minotaur noticed that the large Cyclops didn't have his usual boisterous tone in him. The big idiot was just as concerned for Cassy as he was.

'Where could Cassy be?' Manty despaired. He was a terrible father. He should have never let her go to that party, never let her out of his sight. He should have seen that Cassy was hurting. He was a **doctor** for Zeus' sake, he should know these sorts of things. He should've, he should've…

Cyc looked over at Manty who was sitting on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring pat. The Cyclops gave him a reassuring yet guarded smile. "Don't worry, Manty. We'll find Cassy, we'll bring her home."

Manty looked over and gave him a nod. He kept looking on his perch for something, anything that would lead them to Cassy, his daughter, because yes, Cassy was his daughter. No matter what blood said.

Taurus was talking with one of his officers when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Cyan's worried face looking up at him. "I heard that Cassy still hasn't been found yet?"

At Taurus's sad nod, she sighed and said, "Is there anything I can do?"

Taurus smiled. "Yes, you can help us with our search."

0000000000

**A Few Hours Ago: **

Cassy screamed as she crashed into the wall. Pained radiated along her back, as she looked up in terror at the huge Mino-Centaur looming over her. She didn't know what she did wrong. One minute she had been talking soothingly to him and then the next, he flew off the handle.

"You think I'm a bastard! You pity me!" He roared.

"What are you talking about, I didn't say anything!" She cried. _What the hell?_

"Don't give me bullshit! I can see it in your eyes!" He went down on her and started to rip what was left of her clothes off.

0000000000

**City Centre; Few Hours Later:**

Nessus cried out in pain, as he was slammed into the wall by the large fist currently holding him. The large meaty hand squeezed, causing him to scream out. "I don't know! I don't know where she is. I swear." He looked at the menacing Cyclops glaring down at him. His body ached all over from the beating Cyc had given him. He had large bruises all over his human and horse halves, scrapes along his face, and his right eye was swollen.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Cyc growled in a menacing voice. He squeezed the Centaur again, causing him to scream.

"Why would she want to see me again? After what happened, I don't think she'd want to see me again." Nessus squirmed in Cyc's grip. "I'm a total loser, Cyc. She wouldn't want anything to do with me."

"Heh heh. You got that right, loser." Cyc sneered down at the Centaur. "I should just squeeze and see how your head pops."

"Cyc, no!" Cyan put a hand on his huge forearm. "Taking out your anger on Nessus won't solve anything. Right now the most important thing is finding Cassy."

Cyc's face crumbled down into one of sorrow. He let go of Nessus, who gave Cyan a grateful look. Cyan returned the favour with a kick to the stomach. "Look, Nessus, I don't like you! Because of you my best friend is missing, she was drugged, and to top it all off, she hates us. Now you better be telling the truth."

Nessus took in a shaky breath, and stood up. He groaned and rubbed his stomach. "Look, Cyan, I don't know where Cassy is. I haven't seen her since the party."

"Come on then, Cyc. It's obvious that this was a waste of time. We should be looking somewhere else." Cyan moved to leave when she felt a tug on her arm.

Nessus looked straight into her eyes. "Look, Cyan. I would like to help look for Cassy."

Cyan jerked her arm away. "We don't need any help from you. We'll find her." She said coldly.

She started to walk away, but stopped, and turned around. "Oh and, Nessus? One other thing before I go. Don't **ever** go near Cassy again. If you do, I'll have Cyc step on you." She jerked her finger towards Cyc who smiled down at Nessus nastily. He lifted his foot and wiggled his toes. Nessus looked up from under the shadow of Cyc's foot, looming over him.

Then Cyan and Cyc turned to leave. As they were leaving, and as Cyc's heavy footfalls echoed down the street, Nessus whispered. "You can't stop me from seeing Cassy…" She was the first person to make him feel the way he felt right now. Strange, as who would've thought he'd fall for a human of all things.

0000000000

Same Time:

Cassy looked to the side, her eyes focused on the simple wooden jug that was on the table, near them, ignoring what was happening to her. She was just so hot, and her head felt like it was floating.

Her body jumped and quivered with each thrust, as Achilles grunted and roared, his enormous weight practically crushing her.

Achilles chuckled, as he felt her body jerk. "Come see the amazing human girl," he laughed. "She wiggles, she jiggles, and she spreads her legs wider than a Cyclops!"

Cassy didn't respond and just continuing lying where she was, which started to piss Achilles off.

"Hey!" he shouted, pausing for a second. "You still there?"

Cassy still said nothing.

Achilles' face twisted in fury, as he bawled his fists. "You miserable, no good, fucking BITCH!" he slammed himself against her, thrusting all the way.

Cassy did react then. She shrieked loud and high, her hips bucked against his legs, as tears sprang from her eyes.

Achilles grinned. "No one ignores Achilles, bitch! Never forget that."

Cassy still said nothing, but lay there with tears streaming down her face.

Achilles continued with what he was doing for a few moments longer, before finally he roared and shot his seed into her. At first, he lay there on top of her, completely crushing her until she thought for sure she'd suffocate. Fortunately, at the last minute, he brought himself up on his knees and then climbed up off of her.

Achilles sighed, as he lay down beside her. "You were good," he said, as he stroked her. "Very, very good. No wonder my ancestors liked to screw around with you, humans."

He reached over to his left and pulled back some more of that purple herb. "Here, eat!" he said simply and stuffed some of the herb into her mouth. "It'll make you feel good. Trust me."

Cassy silently chewed the herb and lay quietly. Achilles lowered his head down to her, and rested his face in her chest, as he began to snore contently.

0000000000

New Olympian Security Centre; Two Days Later:

Manty walked down to Taurus's office. Passing by the force field secured cells, he looked around. Most were empty, some were not so. He noticed a few more occupants.

Ixion crossed his arms over his chest, as he glared at him.

"You can't keep me here, you old coot. My parent's will get me out!" He banged on the force field, causing him to jump back from the electric shock he received.

Ixion had been released on bail, but he had barely been out a day before he got arrested again, when some witnesses had come forward with some interesting information.

"Oh really, boy. Last I heard, drinking for Centaurs is illegal. And more so with that Nightshade you spiked it with." Manty had heard about the plant. Being a doctor he learned about its soothing qualities. Cassy had actually explained that there actually were some teas in the human world that were used to calm people from stress.

"A lot better than the drink I always say," she had said. Manty had commented that her people must have been heavy tea drinkers. To which Cassy had rolled her eyes and mumbled something about stereotypes.

Ixion smirked at Manty. "It may be that I had the drinks spiked there, but it's my word against hers. No one's going to believe the word of a human against a New Olympian. I'll be out of here faster than you can say 'Innocent'."

"Don't bet on it." Taurus' low voice rang out. He walked up to the cell and looked calmly at the teen. "We've got eyewitness reports of you paying two Centaurs to put the alcohol in the beverages." Taurus dug out a notepad from his pocket. He placed the screen against the force field. "And this, this is a notepad from the store where you purchased the Nightshade concentrate used in your little toxic concoction. You are going away for a very long time, Ixion. And not even your parents' money can save you."

Ixion's face crumpled, as he remained quiet. He suddenly wasn't so sure of himself.

Manty looked expectantly to Taurus. "Any word?"

Taurus shook his head. "Nothing, Manty, we've been searching for almost three days now and still nothing. I've even asked the gargoyle clan on Mt. Thanatos to keep a look out for the girl."

"Thank you, Taurus, you don't know what this means to me." Manty replied sincerely.

"You don't have to thank me, it's a pleasure."

"Hey, what's this I hear about a missing girl?" A sneering voice asked from his cell. "It wouldn't be that human girl that our security chief's been bitchin' about…" A large figure stepped back from the cell.

Manty looked up to its dirty white fur and into its sneering canine faces. It was some kind of wolf-man, with two heads. The thing noticed Manty staring at it, and smiled.

"Now if I had her," Taurus and Manty both noticed a growing pink length coming out from his nether regions, "I would show that human the time of her life." One of its mouths hung open and it licked the top of its razor sharp teeth, while the other head was busy showing his arousal by saying. "Oh, oh, OH!"

Manty was disgusted to see the creature was jerking off, and getting hornier by the second, just by thinking about his daughter.

"Oh Fuck YEAH! If I had her I would shove this baby," he gestured a head towards his large and very erect member, which was already releasing pre-cum, "up into her tight little ass. Oh! Oh! Oh YEAH! Oh shit! Oh shit!" The creature began to jerk off harder and faster. "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! OHHH YEAH!" He roared, as his load shot off and landed on a wall.

Manty, thoroughly disgusted by the display, turned to Taurus and asked. "Do you think we could talk somewhere else?"

Taurus, unfazed by the monster's lurid and disgusting display, said, "Of course." By now he was used to this particular inmates tactics. Like Proteus, he liked to push buttons. But unlike Proteus, Geryon was a sexual predator of the worst kind who got off on the despair and humiliation of his victims. 'In here,' He motioned for Manty to follow him.

0000000000

**Achilles' Hut: **

Lying in a fetal position, Cassy rubbed her arm. She should feel rage, despair, anything, yet she knew she felt nothing. Of course she did feel the pain. Looking down at the blood down where she had felt him penetrate her, and taken away her virginity.

With a slow but deliberate hand, she dabbed at the blood and looked at it in fascination for a while, before looking over the rest of her body.

Cassy looked over her cream coloured body and sighed. She heard his content snoring next to her, and closed her eyes. For her first time, this was not how she had envisioned it would be like.

She had envisioned a time, where the man she loved would have carried her over the threshold. Gently being lowered onto an elegant bed, and then feel his hands delicately undo her dress, while kisses were trailed down her spine. And then she would turn around and look into a warm face, a human face smiling lovingly down on her. Then his lips would touch hers...

But she more and more she thought about it, the more she found a bull's face replacing her knight in shining armour.

She quietly took Achilles' hand off her bareback, and laid it on his chest. Her first time… She scratched the itch on her face. Looking around, she saw the room she occupied with her 'mate', as he called himself to her. The walls of the cabin were made out of orange red wooden logs. They were actually stacked neatly one on top of the other. The floor was of the same wood material except it had been fashioned into smooth planks.

The crackling of the fire burned brightly in its fireplace. Cassy got up and knelt down by the fire. She balled up her hands in front of her face and blew on them. Then rubbed them together and felt how the friction produced heat. Moving her hands ever more slowly, perpendicularly, from each other, she separated them and placed her hands outwards. Careful not to burn herself, she let the heat of the fire warm her body.

A few hours ago, she'd been so hot. When Achilles touched her, he said it was like she was on fire. She had closed her eyes, but it only seemed to turn him on more. But afterwards, after the sex she had felt cold.

The house had the fireplace and she hadn't been out of Achilles' cabin in what seemed like a week. She should be warm?

She got up and poured herself a glass of water. Her throat was always dry she had noticed. She guzzled the water down and felt the satisfying liquid wash down her throat.

As she put down her glass, she noticed more of the purple herb that Achilles had brought her. It was tied together in a little bundle. She tore off a small piece at the stem and chewed the sweet purple and green in her mouth. The cold left her body and her thoughts of love and of her friends were blissfully ended, as her mind went blank.

She sighed, as the contentment and warmth enveloped her.

0000000000

**Security Centre: **

A light went on in Manty's head, as he remembered Geryon's lurid display.

"Oh shit! I've just thought of something."

Taurus perked up, as he saw his friend become very agitated. "What is it, Manty? Do you know where Cassy could be?"

Shaking he turned to look at Taurus with wide eyes. "That strange creature, that Mino-Centaur."

A horrifying thought came to Taurus' mind… 'Cassy, she would never'

Manty looked Taurus straight in the eye. "Taurus you know what trauma can do to someone. Heck you lived it remember? You know that a person that's been traumatised is unpredictable. Besides, if she has, then it's nothing that Cassy hasn't done already. Remember when Proteus escaped?"

Taurus shuddered, as he remembered when they had to pretend that he was badly injured, in order to draw Proteus out of hiding. When Cassy heard he had been hurt, she got out to look for Proteus to avenge him. It had almost cost her life.

"If she's gone after that guy, who knows what could happen?" He got up off from his seat. "Come on, we've got to find her before something terrible happens." He ran out the door with Manty close behind him.

0000000000

New Olympian Security Centre:

Nessus made his way, painfully, into the island's jail, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from some of the passing Olympians, staring at his multiple wounds that he had received from Cassy's friend, Cyc.

It had been almost a week since his…interrogation, but the wounds he had received were far from healed. He could have simply gone to a doctor, but that would mean meeting Manty again, which was something he did not want.

He limped up to the counter where one of the officers, Helios, was sitting, reading a magazine.

"Officer?" he asked.

Helios looked up from his magazine and arched his fiery eyebrow at the beaten Centaur. "I think you have the wrong place, son? The hospital's down the street, four blocks over."

"No," Nessus replied. "I just…fell down some stairs. I'm fine, honestly. I'm here to see my cousin."

"Oh," Helios didn't looked convinced, but he just got out his notepad. "What's your cousin's name?"

"Ixion of the Centaur house of Centaurus."

"Ah, one of the big boss's son, eh?" Helios said with a smirk. "Guess having your cousin in here won't be doing your family's good name any good, huh?"

Ixion's family were of the House of Centaurus, named after the God who supposedly gave life to their race. They were the oldest race of Centaurs on the island, probably the descendants of the first ones ever born.

Nessus just shook his head hurriedly. "Doubtful, but I just need to see him. It is quite urgent."

Helios rechecked his list. "Well," he said unsure. "He's not supposed to be having any visitors…but since you're family, I guess it'll be okay."

Helios pressed a tab on his side of the panel and the door separating them, opened.

"Walk forward a few steps," Helios ordered.

Nessus did as he was told. The instant he walked in-between the two doorframes, a light past over him, scanning him for any weapons or metallic objects. A green light soon began blinking, indicating that he was clean.

"He's in cell 5, area B," Helios explained, as he got up. "Follow me and don't go anywhere near the cells."

Nessus slowly walked behind the fiery-headed officer, as they past by several cells on either side of them. Many New Olympians, of various races, all sneered, growled and shook their fists or whatever at them, as they past by them.

As they came to area B, of the Security Centre, they past by a cell, which had an enormous, two-headed, wolf creature inside. The beast seemed to be growling at something, though it was not looking at them and didn't seem to have even noticed that they were there.

Nessus paused for a slight second and tilted his head to gaze into the creature's cell.

He immediately withdrew, as he noticed that the beast's cell was covered with posters and magazine pictures of New Olympian females, from every race, which were all nude. He also noticed that the thing had one of the pictures in his paw, and that he was not growling at all, but moaning, as he masturbated.

"That there's Geryon," Helios said suddenly, startling Nessus for a moment. "If by any chance or miracle, he ever gets out of jail, and you should happen to meet him. Don't stand there chatting or anything, just run. The guy's a monster of the truest meaning. He rapes girls, usually killing them in the process, and brutally mutilates the men."

Nessus gulped shortly. He remembered hearing something about a guy named Geryon, who had tried raping one of Boreas' advisers, Echidna, but was stopped.

"This is your cousin's cell," Helios said, as they came to the next one.

Nessus said. "Oh, will it be possible for him and me to be alone? I have some family stuff to discuss with him."

Helios shook his head. "Afraid I can't do that," he said. "Can't leave anyone alone with the prisoners, even if they are family. I can place you in the cell with him, but I'll be right outside in case he tries anything."

Nessus sighed. "Okay. I guess that'll do."

Helios nodded and banged on the column next to the force field. "Yo, rich boy!" he called inside. "You got a visitor!"

A low grumbling sound came from within, one that sounded sleepy. "Tell them to come back tomorrow," he mumbled.

"You refuse me now and I won't come back at all," Nessus called back.

A slight clatter came from inside and Ixion's face was soon at the force field, staring right at them.

"Nessus?" Ixion said. "Damn it! It's about time you got here! Alright, let him in, firefly!"

Helios scowled a little, but entered the code and released the field, allowing Nessus to pass through.

Ixion immediately greeted his cousin with a fierce bear hug. Nessus did not return the affection, but Ixion didn't seem to notice.

As soon as Helios had his back turned and was leaning on the wall, Ixion started speaking to his cousin in hushed words.

"So," he started, "what's the word? Have you or the folks got any idea of how to get me out of here yet?"

"No," Nessus said, "but I do have one thing that you might be able to help with."

"Oh," Ixion arched his eyebrow at him. "What?"

Nessus suddenly grabbed his cousin's shoulders and slammed his body up against the wall, ignoring the aches and pains that his own injuries were giving him in the process.

"You can tell me where the hell Cassy is?" he hissed at him.

Ixion's eyes practically bulged out at him. "What the hell are you doing?" he snarled, keeping it quiet, so as not to alarm Helios. "Get your hands off me or I'll…" He stopped, as Nessus moved his right hand up to Ixion's throat and started choking him.

"Are you…" Ixion choked, as he struggled to breathe. "Are you out of…your mind?"

"Possibly," Nessus said casually, and indicated his own injuries with a tilt of his head. "I haven't had the greatest of weeks because of you."

"Me? What did I do?"

Nessus snorted. "Let's see… You get me to invite Cassy to your party, with the full intention of raping her. You spike the punch, breaking the law, thus getting me in trouble with the police, not to mention Cassy's friends. You disgrace our family, and sour our good name. Where would you like me to start?"

"Hold on!" Ixion said, gasping. "Alright, I admit that I did spike the punch. But trust me, I never intended it to go this far. I just thought it would liven things up a bit. I didn't think everyone would go nuts."

Nessus snarled at him. "And Cassy?"

Ixion shrugged. "Same reason," he said. "I just thought having a human at the party would make it more interesting. Plus, I had heard you were dating her, and about the trouble she had been through, so I thought I'd give her a break, try and meet some new friends."

Nessus narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "You," he began, "are nothing, but a god damn LIAR!" He squeezed his fist, almost crushing Ixion's windpipes. "You have about as much love for a human, and for me, as you do for hoof-rot. Why was she really there? What was the real reason?"

Ixion struggled against his cousin's grip, but for once, his cousin was too strong for him. "I-I don't know what…"

Nessus banged his head against the wall, checking that Helios hadn't heard, but Helios seemed to have some headphones on, listening to something, and couldn't hear a thing.

"Why?" he growled angrily.

Ixion gulped fearfully. "Alright!" he finally gave in. "Alright… It was for a friend, okay?"

Nessus paused. "What friend?" he said, as he eased his grip, but didn't remove.

Ixion breathed deeply, gaining his breath back. "Achilles, the Mino-Centaur."

Nessus blinked. "You mean that thing they all saw at the party that everyone's talking about? The one who beat up Taurus and all his officers?" Nessus couldn't remember, as he had been unconscious the whole time. The alcohol had affected him the most that night.

Ixion nodded. "Yeah, I met him about a year ago. The guy is one serious nut, okay. I mean, one minute he's all chummy and laughing, the next he's getting ready to bite your head off."

"How'd you meet him?" Nessus continued asking.

Ixion shrugged. "It was just on the outskirts of the city, near where the marsh is, where all those wild animals are supposed to be. I had some business there, some guys were cheating me. When I confronted them about it, they…"

"And what business might that have been?" Nessus asked slyly. "The kind that you don't tell mom and dad about perhaps?"

Ixion's face turned red with anger. "Hey! Do I…"

"Never mind!" Nessus interrupted. "Just get on with it."

Ixion snarled back at him. "Anyway," he continued, "the guys started getting rough with me. They were saying I was cheating on them when they were the ones doing the cheating. I was about to drop the whole deal, when one of them popped out a dagger at me. Guys were really taking it seriously and looked as if they were gonna slit my throat."

'Shame they didn't,' Nessus thought, but didn't say anything.

"Just when they were about to, you know, Achilles turned up right out of nowhere. The guys thought he was Taurus at first and tried to make a break for it. You can imagine our surprise when he came out of the thicket, with his horse-ass and everything." Ixion chuckled, but stopped when he didn't see Nessus smiling. "Anyway, when they saw it wasn't Taurus and something that they had never seen before, they just laughed and tried rushing him… Biiiig mistake!"

Nessus arched his left eyebrow at him. "What happened?"

"A massacre is what happened," Ixion laughed. "Achilles wiped the floor with them…literally. He ripped them apart and spread them all over the ground. Guy's sure one serious head-case, lemme tell you that, cous."

Nessus ignored him. "So what happened then?"

"Lemme go and I'll tell you."

Nessus paused for a while, but finally he relented and released his relative.

Ixion sighed, as he rubbed his throat. "Well, at first I thought he was gonna kill me too, so I beat him to the punch and offered him a job, acting as a sort of bodyguard for me. You know, in case any other guys tried getting smart with me, or something. I told him he could have anything he wanted, the best of everything, from wine and silk linen beds, to foxy girls in black leather. He seemed _really_ interested in the girl part, lemme tell you. So he let me go and started working for me."

Nessus grounded his teeth together, in rage. "So, was he the reason why you got me to invite Cassy?"

Ixion gulped nervously. "More or less," he said timidly. "See, like I said, Achilles is one major head-case, totally off his rocker. At first, it wasn't so bad. He was a real good fighter and he kept all my rivals at bay and everything…but with him, he's like one second, happy and chummy with his pals, namely me, and the next second he's all 'I wanna fight and kill'."

Ixion sighed. "He's totally unpredictable and when he's mad, he can't tell the difference from who's bad or good. He just lashes out at everyone and everything. I had to keep him happy, otherwise there's no telling what he'd do." He sighed again. "It's a constant job to keep him happy. I mean, you seriously do _not_ want to get him mad and be on his bad side, which I'm sure you, or at least Taurus, have figured out by now." He grinned, indicating the battle between Taurus's men and Achilles.

Nessus didn't blink however. "Go on, Ixion. I think you're just about to come to the part about why you had Cassy over?"

Ixion looked more nervous now than ever. "Well, like I said, I had to keep him happy, calm and all that. And the only things that ever really calm him down, are either hunting, fighting or…"

"Yes?" Nessus folded his arms, staring at him.

Ixion rubbed the back of his head. "Women," he finally said. "And I'm not talking about just looking at them too, you know what I'm saying?"

Nessus's eyes flared at him. If he were a gargoyle then his eyes would be burning white-silver by now, brighter than lanterns.

Ixion started to step back, away from him. "I mean, it's not exactly an uncommon method of relaxing, cous. I'm sure millions of people use mating as a way to relax and let out some steam. It's also a good exercise for the body, you know?"

Nessus didn't answer and glared at him, his scowl worsening by the second.

"Err, no," Ixion said sheepishly. "On second thought, I guess you don't. You don't get out much, do you?"

Nessus started to step towards him.

Ixion held up his hands. "Whoa, cous," he tried reasoning with him, hoping for some help. "I had to do it! I told you how crazy he gets. Usually, I just go out and hire some pleasure girls for him, but that wasn't working anymore."

'Pleasure girls' was of course the New Olympian title for prostitutes.

Ixion carried on, now backed up all the way to the wall again, with Nessus closing in on him. "Achilles had gotten tired of all the usual girls he gets, and he was sick of getting girls who were only doing it for money. He wanted something more, so I…I…"

Nessus snapped out his arm, like lightning, and once again seized his cousin's throat, cutting off most of the circulation. "What?" he hissed.

Ixion gasped, the air not getting all the way into his lungs. "I…I heard about the human girl. I thought about getting her for Achilles, maybe hiring her for an evening or two, but it didn't take me long to figure out that she wouldn't be into that sort of stuff. I had considered forgetting about it, but then Achilles started getting all crazy again. Then you came along and said you were dating her."

"So you got me to invite her to your _party_!" Nessus deduced angrily, his grip increasing around Ixion's throat. "And you arranged to have some of your cronies spike the punch, so that Achilles could have his way with her, and everyone would be too punch-drunk to care or lift a finger to help!"

Ixion gasped and struggled for breath, as he futilely batted at his cousin's hand, around his throat, but to no avail.

"Nessus." he struggled for dear life. "Please…I..."

"To think I actually once considered you my friend, as well as my cousin," Nessus bore into him. "And all the time you were planning something like…like this!" He lowered his head, his eyes staring right into Ixion's. "Where…do I find…Achilles?" he said simply and threatening.

Ixion's face was starting to turn blue, and his eyes were practically frozen in fear. "In the marsh lands," he revealed. "He has a hut out there, beyond the outskirts of the city, on the west end." he choked. "It's in the really deep part, quite well hidden, but you'll find his hut with some purple flowers on it."

"Hey!" Helios yelled, having finally removed his earphones and heard the commotion coming from within Ixion's cell. "What's going on in there?"

Nessus threw his cousin down on the floor and turned around, just as Helios deactivated the force field. "I was just leaving," he announced. "I have all that I came here for, and have unfortunately learned a few things about one of my relatives that I wish never to speak about." He turned back for a second and looked at his pitiful cousin, clutching his throat in pain. "As far as I'm concerned," he spoke one final time, "my cousin is dead!" With that, he turned and left the prison cell compound.

0000000000

**Outside New Olympus City: **

Nessus galloped at full speed through the swamps. He swatted a few branches that got in his way. He had to get to Cassy before Achilles got to her. There was no telling what that monster would do to her if he got a hold of her.

"Aarrgh!" Nessus screamed, as he felt a giant weight come crushing down upon his body. He landed face first into the muddy waters.

"I thought we told you that we didn't want to see you ever again!" Cyc growled. He ground his foot more onto Nessus' back, causing the Centaur to moan in pain.

"I didn't promise anything," the Centaur said through gritted teeth, "I only said what you wanted you to hear. But I'm not going to leave Cassy alone… I…I care for her." He tried to push himself up, but the Cyclops's weight was too much and he collapsed once more into the mud.

Cyan glared down at the dark Centaur. Slowly, with deliberate steps she made her way around Nessus. She pushed up Nessus's chin with her thumb and forefinger. "I think I ought to let Cyc here just smash you into a pulp, you've caused so much trouble for Cassy. What are you doing here anyway?"

Nessus suppressed a shudder of pain as the Cyclops's foot was bearing down on him. He was going to die, but he wasn't going to die without telling them. "I love her." he whispered.

"What?" Cyan growled. She bent down to his eye level. "Say again? I don't think I heard you right."

"You heard me." He glared defiantly at Cyan. "I said that I love her. I'm looking for her same as you are. I could ask you the same question. What are you doing here?"

Cyan crossed her arms and gave him a 'as if you didn't know look.' "Every other inch of this island's been combed. This is the last place that the security force hasn't looked. Now where were we? Oh yeah… Crush him, Cyc!"

"All right stop!" Taurus' harsh voice called out to all of them. The Minotaur crossed his arms over his large chest. "Let him go, Hercules. He might have vital information to where Achilles is."

"All right." Cyc reluctantly lifted his foot off of Nessus. "But if you try anything funny." He pounded a fist the size of a boulder into his outstretched palm. He gave Nessus a not so nice smile, to which the Centaur gulped and nodded mutely.

Taurus laid a hand on Nessus' shoulder. "All right, son, you know where Cassy is? Tell us."

"Achilles… She's at Achilles…" He pointed through the thick vegetation. "He's about another half kilometre that way."

Cyan looked at him suspiciously. "How do you know?" Inwardly she hoped he was wrong. As much as she cared for Cassy, she must admit that she had an impulsive streak and perhaps not the best judgement. And as far as she knew, bad things always did seem to happen to her human friend.

He looked back at her with a determined look on his face. "I just do. Now are we going to help her or not?"

"All right, then I'll go. You three," he gave them all an annoyed look, "try and stay out of trouble." He ran off to where Nessus had pointed through the brush.

Nessus got up painfully. "Thanks for the help." He grunted when he saw neither Cyc nor Cyan giving him a hand to get up. "I'm fine, thank you."

"No one asked you." Cyan retorted. She turned to walk off, but then turned around and looked at Nessus impatiently. "Well, are you coming?"

Nessus looked at Cyan with a confused expression on his face. "I thought you didn't want me to come along with you."

"I don't," Cyan growled, "but we need all the help we can get, if we are to get to Cassy." She remembered when Achilles had wiped the floor with them the last time and didn't want that scene repeated. She heard snorting noises, faint but distinct.

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**Achilles' Hut: **

Achilles yawned loudly, and stretched his arms out, reaching for Cassy. When he didn't find her, he awoke suddenly and shot up, his eyes searching for her.

"Where…" he stopped when he soon saw her, sitting by the fire, warming herself.

He growled and strode up to her, grabbing her by the hair and hoisting her up to his face.

"Ouch!" Cassy whined. "What is it?" she tugged her hair, trying to get it out of his grasp.

Achilles snarled. "You left me!" he simply said.

"I was only over here by the fire." She tried to reason with him, but her head was still floating and she couldn't focus. "I was cold and…"

Achilles cut her off, and kissed her deeply, his huge tongue filling her mouth.

Cassy soon forgot what she was going to say, and felt herself melting into his kiss and embrace, as tendrils of small pleasure went over her skin.

When he pulled back, he looked deep into her eyes, and said. "Don't…ever...leave…me!"

Cassy just nodded her head, and allowed Achilles to pick her up and carry her back over to the bed. When he reached it however, he stopped and seemed to look around, his ears twitching.

He dumped her on the bed, and turned around.

"Stay here and don't leave!" he ordered her, and left the cabin.

Cassy didn't nod or anything, and just lay back down on the piles of furs, resting her head.

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Taurus ran through the brush swatting away an errant branch as it hit him on his forearm. A million thoughts ran through his mind on what the large hybrid could do to Cassy. One stuck out in particular, and he feared that they might be too late to do anything about it. If Achilles did, then he would make the monster wish he were in Tartarus.

**Whoosh!**

Taurus stopped in his tracks as he felt the arrow flew mere centimetres from his calf. He looked around into the seemingly unoccupied brush and then he took out his laser and hid behind a tree. "Achilles? Is that you? Show yourself!"

Three more arrows whizzed in rapid succession out from the brush and landed in the dirt close to Taurus' feet.

"Not likely, Minotaur. I know why you are here, Taurus. You've come because mother and father have sent you to retrieve me. Well they are not taking me back! I'm staying here in this place with my wilderness and my prize. And there's nothing that you can do about it!"

_Prize? He means Cassy. I've got to play this cool or he could hurt her._ He breathed deeply a few times and called out, "You're parents didn't send me here to retrieve you. I just came here to get the girl that's all. No harm will befall you."

Achilles peered through the large brush he was huddled behind and narrowed his eyes. "What was that?" He inclined his head and listened and nodded. "Yes, I think he's fooling me, too. He wants her for himself and he's going to take me back to mother and father so they can kill me. I won't have it!" He whispered harshly.

He looked out towards the tree and called out. "All right, you can have her back. I just want to be left alone in peace." He inclined his head again and listened. "Others, you're sure? He's brought others to corner me, the betrayer! Okay, okay. You take care of the others and I'll take care of Taurus."

The large Mino-Centaur threw out the metallic bow that he had on him. It made a hollow wet noise landing on the swamp's floor. Achilles came out with his hands in the air. "All right I'm done. You can have the girl, but please don't hurt me."

Taurus cautiously approached Achilles with his weapon poised. "You have my word. Now where is she."

"She's," Achilles turned his head slightly to indicate the direction then suddenly whipped his head back, "right here!" And the heavy braided beard that he had snapped like a whip and knocked Taurus's gun out of his hand.

"Aaugh!" Taurus rubbed his hand in response and then got knocked clean by a right from a heavy fist.

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"Hey, what's that noise?" Cyan looked around and heard the grunting snorting sounds. "Cyc, is that you?"

"Eh no, but whatever it is, it's louder now."

Then they heard several squeals as that…something…suddenly charged forward and emerged from the brush. And then they gasped as they saw the biggest boars that they had ever seen in their lives. They were about the size of a large bison. No fat whatsoever, as their entire bodies were packed with muscle. The colour of their skin was blood red.

Cyan had to look again and had to stop herself from gagging. It wasn't that these 'boars' had blood red skin that disgusted her, but the fact that they didn't have any skin at all, and were covered in their own blood.

The other boars moved away and then the biggest of them came forward. This one was three times the size of the others, had two heads, one smaller than the other was sticking out from its neck like a tumour. It squealed, and the other head, malformed as it was, gave off a smaller squeal.

The pack squealed in return and charged at them.

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Taurus blocked a cross from Achilles and gave off his own, which connected with the side of his face. The hybrid growled and gave off a kick that connected with the Minotaur's stomach.

Taurus countered with an uppercut to the chin. He then went around the Mino-Centaur and locked him in a full nelson. He started to bend his torso backward, putting pressure on his spine.

"Give up, Achilles. Even if I fail, sooner or later my men will find you. Make this easier on yourself and give in. I promise we'll give you a fair trial."

Achilles gritted his teeth from the pain. "Never! I won't let you take me back…" He pushed backward and rammed Taurus into a tree. He then started doing it repeatedly. "I won't," BAM! "Go," BAM! "Back!" BAM! "You," BAM! "Can't," BAM! BAM! "Make me!" BAM! BAM! **BAM!**

Taurus fell into a boneless heap.

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Cyc grunted, as he grabbed the largest boar by its tusks. It squealed madly at him as it thrashed trying to eviscerate him with its sharp tusks. It lashed out a spiny-toothed tongue at him. "Ouch! **OUCH!**"

Meanwhile the smaller boars were ramming into his legs.** "**Cyan, Nessus, d'ya think maybe you could get those other boars off of my legs for a second!" He grunted, as he struggled with the huge monstrosity. _Even for its size, for Zeus' sake! This thing is stronger than it looks._

"Ouch!" One boar hit Cyan in the shoulder. "I'm trying, but there's too many." She back kicked a few errant boars and slammed her arm into another.

"Augh! Where are they all coming from?" Nessus gripped his bleeding shoulder. "Watch your back!" Nessus kicked a boar charging at Cyan with his front legs and killed it.

"Thanks." The Centaur muttered. She continued killing off more boars, but another just jumped in its place.

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Achilles grinned nastily, as he looked to Taurus' barely conscious form. He bent down and picked him up roughly by the horn. He slammed Taurus' face first into a tree. "Wake up! Wake up! I want you to be awake and meet your death on your feet like a man."

The blood from Taurus' nose and mouth caused him to sound strangled when he replied. "You haven't killed me yet." the bull said groggily.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Speak louder. Wait," Achilles grabbed Taurus' horn in both hands, "let me help you get your second wind."

CRACK!

"AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" Taurus screamed out. He touched where his horn was and felt only jagged bone. He looked at his hand and found out he was bleeding from the base of his horn. He felt the anger boil up inside of him. He roared and tackled Achilles.

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Boreas brushed aside a piece of shrubbery that was blocking his way. He sighed. _Why must the past always come back to haunt me? _

"Artemis?" He called out. "Artemis, I know you are here. Show yourself!"

A woman materialized in front of him. She was bronze skinned in colour with green eyes and pointed ears. She wore a simple toga, sandals and had a cheetah's pelt draped over her shoulders. Artemis looked at the larger being with anger and showed her sharp white teeth. "You! What is it that you want?"

Boreas looked impassively at Artemis, and spoke. "I want you to stop this nonsense at once. You and I both know Achilles must be stopped before he does anymore harm."

"Him! What about the harm **your** kind," she pointed a razor sharp finger at him, "have done to him? When I found him in this abandoned area he had been thrown out by his parents. I adopted him as my own child and took care of him. He was garbage to your kind, but to me he is **my **son. And I won't let you hurt him!" She created a ball of energy that she hurled at Boreas, it exploded on impact.

Boreas dusted himself off. "Artemis, please, must we?" She threw a punch at him. Unmoved and unharmed, Boreas took her wrist and started to squeeze. "I don't want to harm you, but if you force me to, I will. Now, as I was saying, your son he has someone, a human girl. Where is she? If you tell me now, I **might **be able to save him from Taurus." He outstretched his hand and an image shimmered to life. In it they could see Taurus savagely beating Achilles.

Artemis gritted her teeth. "Achilles, he has her in his cabin. He wanted her for his…special needs. So I gave him some herb to give to her. The herb clouds her judgement, compels her to go to him, and make her susceptible to his needs. PLEASE don't hurt him."

A look of compassion came over Boreas, and he helped the goddess to her feet. "No harm will come of him. I promise."

Artemis wiped away angry tears from her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? My son, he doesn't deserve this. You yourself have done far worse than what he has done. As I recall, you were quite the womaniser in your day."

A look of sorrow came over Boreas' face. "I know. My crimes will haunt me to the end of time, but I am trying to make amends."

"How many children do you have abandoned about, BOREAS? Let's see…" She started counting on her fingers. "There was Hercules, Perseus…"

The large winged man rubbed his brow. "Yes. Enough, Artemis, I get your point."

"Oh, but why stop there? Why don't we tell the New Olympians about why you guard them? Why not tell them the truth?" She accused.

"ENOUGH!" He thundered, as he produced a jolt of lightning from his hand. "Don't you think I know what I did was wrong? Don't you think I'm paying for my sins? I can't reveal to the New Olympians that their whole existence is a joke! A sick joke played out by an arrogant, ARROGANT man. It's too cruel!"

Artemis smiled. "You know, as much as I love making you suffer, I see you do a better job of that yourself. You are suffering terribly and it makes me feel **immensely **happy. Go on then, retrieve the human. Stop my son, but help him. That is all I ask."

And then, Artemis was gone…

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Cyc continued grappling with the boar when it disappeared. Cyan and Nessus noticed that the other boars were nowhere to be seen as well.

"What do you suppose happened to those creatures?" Nessus asked Cyan.

"I don't know and I don't care just as long as they are gone." Cyan answered. "Come on we better get going and see if Taurus needs help."

"That won't be necessary." Taurus answered. He was carrying Achilles over his shoulders. The others gasped as they took a look at him. Half his armour seemed to be ripped off, and he was full of cuts and bruises. Then they looked up.

"Taurus!" Cyan gasped. "Your horn!"

Taurus felt the broken down stub where his horn used to be and waved it off. "I'm fine." Really, the shooting pain in his head was anything but fine, but he didn't tell them that. "Here." He handed Achilles to Cyc. "You take him, we still need to find Cassy." They all nodded.

A few minutes later they followed Achilles hoof-prints back to where his cabin was. They opened the door and found Cassy huddled on a pile of furs, curled up in a foetus position. Taurus went to her and bent down on his knees. "Cassy, Cassy?"

Cassy looked to him and he saw her a hollow vacant look in her eyes. "Do you know who I am?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"What happened?"

She opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out. Instead she shook her head.

"What? What do you mean?" Taurus gave the others a confused look.

She took a finger and wrote in the dust on the floor. 'Nothing.'

"Nothing?" He gave her an even more confused look. The others looked at each other, unable to make out her behaviour. "Are you sure?"

She nodded yes. She gave him a pleading look and grabbed his arm.

"All right, let's get you up." Taurus picked her up in his arms.

She noticed the sharp stub where his horn used to be and gently touched it. He flinched as he fought the wave of pain and gently pushed aside her hand. "Come on, we'll get you back to Manty." He said softly. Turning he went out from the cabin, the others wordlessly following him.

Nessus looked as though he wanted to talk to her, to help her, but thought it be better that he stayed out of the way for now.

As they left the now abandoned cabin, none of them noticed the green eyes that followed their every move, with a look of regret, pain, and anger.

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**Manty and Cassy's Apartment: **

When they got back to Manty's, Cassy had found her voice. She had found her voice and was currently using it to quietly sob with.

The large Manticore was gently rubbing a paw into her silky golden hair. "Shh, shh, Cassy, it will be fine. It's over now… **He **can't hurt you anymore." Manty spoke out with vehemence, edged in his usually calm and cheerful voice. Everything would not be all right. No, Cassy had been marked forever. He did not tell her this, and only gently stroked her hair.

Cyc was strangely quiet. He stood in a corner with his arms crossed over his massive frame. His sullen eye looked desperately towards his stricken friend. He felt lost. All this power, all this strength and yet he couldn't help save his friend, who was more like a sister, from being raped. What good was he?

Nessus had stayed with them all the way back to Manty's apartment, until Taurus had politely told him that he thought it would be better if he left, since he doubted that Manty would be too pleased to see him. Nessus had objected at first, but the stern look from Taurus, and the raised foot from Cyc, convinced him otherwise. So he had left to go home, but silently promised Cassy that he would keep in touch with her as soon as possible.

Cyan looked towards her friend with tears shining in her eyes. She tried to take a step forward to place a reassuring hand onto her, but paused. Damn! She did this to her! **She** did! It was Cyan that had gotten angry at Cassy over missing their swim. It she who didn't figure out in time that Nessus was going to take her to his cousin's home. And if she were a better friend she would have known that Cassy might want to try and revenge herself upon that, that THING! She blinked back tears, as she rubbed the sides of her arms with her hands. If only…If only…

God, why did her kind have to be such monsters? Cyan breathed in a shuddering breath. Cassy didn't need her. She needed her to be as far away from her friend as possible.

"Cyan!" Cyc reached out, as he heard Cyan give a pained whinny and trot out of the room. Soon the clip clop of her hooves became a gallop, as she ran out as fast as her equine legs could carry her.

With tears streaming down her face, Cyan galloped out of Manty's housing complex, as fast as her hooves could take her. She needed to get as far away from Cassy as possible. Her kind, were monsters. She was a monster!

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**A Few Days Later: **

A few days passed and word had passed that Cassy the human had been brutally raped at the hands of a monster. Many had been shocked at hearing of such a thing happening. Mostly because such things didn't happen, Proteus and the murder of Asterion had been the last violent crime to be committed on New Olympus in many years.

Some had expressed their sympathy to Manty, who gave a silent thank you to those few charitable to express kindness to his daughter. Others had not been so sympathetic.

Taurus waved off the wave of disgust and anger in the pit of his stomach when he saw a few of his people **smiling **when they had learned.

He absently rubbed at the golden coloured prosthetic that completed his horn… The line connecting New Olympian alloy where bone met had a jagged look that made it obvious that the horn was broken. The technician who had made his new prosthetic and screwed it into his horn had muttered about how stubborn he was. He didn't care, as he wanted it as a reminder of his failure. He failed the one person who needed him most. He could deal with this!

A gentle knock, and the Minotaur could hear someone shifting their weight. His ears twitched back and forth as they tried to pick up on what was being said. He heard a tired mumble and the door slid out, with a whoosh.

Manty looked at him through tired bloodshot eyes… His faced looked like it had aged several years in several days. Cassy was asleep on his shoulder, using his soft pelt as pillow.

"Could you?" Manty looked at the pillow near a couch that Taurus was standing by. Taurus went over and took the pillow over to Manty. Manty gently eased out from under Cassy, as Taurus held her head. He then gently put the pillow under her.

"I'm glad you came, Taurus," Manty's voice sounded so tired, so hollow, so old. He sighed and ran a paw through his mane. "I tried to take Cassy to the medical centre so she could get checked out, but it didn't work out." Manty had cautiously asked that Taurus come over so he could relate what he had learned.

For a while all they talked about was small chat. Taurus commented off hand that Echidna's Isolationist Party was gaining clout among many of the New Olympians. Taurus himself had talked with Boreas who thought contact with humanity would be a good idea. They had been going over plans for a small party to go to the human city of New York and meet up with their officials… But then he might find her.

He closed his eyes and sighed in frustration, as he tried not to think of her ink black hair cascading down her back. About how he couldn't stop thinking about her easy smile. Or those chocolate brown eyes that Taurus so loved about her. But that had been put to stop at least for now. Cassy. Cassy had been hurt and right now helping her was the most important thing.

"How's she doing?" he asked finally.

Manty sighed. "To be honest, I don't really know. Whatever that stuff was, that Achilles fed her. It seems to have completely drained her of any or all emotion. She doesn't seem to feel anything."

"Can you do anything for her?"

Manty shrugged. "I haven't a clue as to what the herb was, but I believe its effects will wear off eventually. As for Cassy…I can only offer her a sympathetic ear, some counselling, and hope." He growled. "What about Achilles? What's happened to him?"

Taurus growled lowly. "He's been sent to the mental institute for evaluation. So far, preliminary results show that he is dangerously unstable, possibly as a result of troubled youth, or an abused childhood. I don't know what else they're going to do, but you have my word, if he ever gets out, it won't be for a _long_ time."

Manty nodded, mildly satisfied. "At least Cassy won't have to worry about him no more."

They both nodded, and watched as the little human slept soundly on the couch.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey.

_**Previously:**_

"_Why didn't they tell me the whole truth then?! Why did they leave out all the stuff that the Cyclops had done?!" _

_Cyc sighed again. "It… wasn't just the Cyclops either, Cassy." _

_Cassy stared at him. "Say what?!" _

_Cyc felt his throat getting tight. "There were… some other Olympians back then, who were… also… not so innocent." _

_----_

_Taurus shook his head. "Nothing, Manty, we've been searching for almost three days now and still nothing. I've even asked the gargoyle clan on Mt. Thanatos to keep a look out for the girl." _

_----_

"_How's she doing?" he asked finally. _

_Manty sighed. "To be honest, I don't really know. Whatever that stuff was, that Achilles fed her. It seems to have completely drained her of any or all emotion. She doesn't seem to feel anything." _

_**-Secrets and Lies-**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Angels of New Olympus, Part I**

**One Week Later; Early Morning; Manty's Apartment: **

_Cassy moaned, as she stirred awake. Once she opened her eyes, she looked down, and found herself shackled to some kind of a dungeon wall, her clothes ripped. _

"_Sleep well?" a heavy voice sounded. _

_Cassy looked up and, almost unsurprising, she saw Achilles looking down on her. _

"_No!" she hissed, mentally shouting. "This is not real! You're not here!" _

"_Oh, but I am," Achilles said coyly, and trotted closer to her. "I'm always in your thoughts, aren't I?" He brushed his huge hand against her breast, sending shivers through her. He chuckled at her expense, as her body shuddered with disgust. _

"_No matter what you say or do," he continued. "I'm always with you." He turned his horse-body around, and rubbed up against her, same as a cat does. Cassy could smell the scent of horse, like in a stable, on him, as he moved against her. _

"_I'm inside you now," he lowered his head to her, and licked the side of her face. "Everywhere you go; I'm in your memories. Part of me is in you, forever." He moved in to kiss her. _

"_NOOOO!!!!!"_

Cassy screamed, as she woke up. She clutched the bed sheets to her chest, moaning miserably.

She stayed like that for about ten minutes, while she regained her breathing.

"It wasn't real! It wasn't real!" she repeated over and over again, her head swimming with awful thoughts of the dream.

Cassy felt like throwing up. She wished she had more of that purple herb that Achilles had given her. When Taurus had brought her back home, she had been in some kind of a trance for the next few days, until finally the herb's affects had worn off.

That was when her life had gone straight to hell. Without the herb's clouding affects on her mind, she had started to feel and think more clearly again. She remembered going to Achilles' hut, getting captured, raped…

Cassy paused in her thoughts for a moment. She often wondered if what had happened to her could be considered rape? She unfortunately remembered every little detail that had happened while she was in Achilles' _care_. She remembered how he had come onto her, how he had kissed her with that huge tongue of his, the way his heavy body pressed down on her, as he…

Cassy suddenly felt sick. She leapt out of bed, and rushed to the lavatory, vomiting inside it.

She didn't know, which made her feel sicker, the fact that she had been raped, or the fact that part of her had actually enjoyed it.

Cassy sobbed, as she hurled the last of her dinner. She needed more of that herb!

0000000000000000000000000000

**Later, In The Evening; River Styx Club: **

Cyan trotted over to the club's main entrance, ignoring the grinning look of the club's bouncer, a Minotaur, that was there.

"Hey!" the Minotaur said cheerfully. "Welcome to The River Styx! Hope you have a good time."

Cyan gave him a sideways glance. "Thanks. Hey, where's Orin?" She asked after Cyc's cousin, Orin, who was the usual bouncer.

The Minotaur shrugged. "On break. He'll be in the club somewhere."

Cyan nodded, and then went in.

The club was, as usual, in a bustle. Dozens of different species of New Olympians were all around, dancing, drinking, and making all around general fools of themselves.

Cyan smiled a little, as she remembered the time when she, Cyc, Cassy, and Orin had all gotten together, having a night out. She remembered how Orin and Cyc had wrestled each other, making all the girls swoon, and making her and Cassy groan at her ridiculous behaviour.

Cyan paused, as she remembered her human friend. That night out, had also been the night when she had met that Centaur, Nessus, who had taken her to that party of his cousin's, where she had run into Achilles…

Cyan moaned, as the pain and trauma of her friend returned to her, and she sat down on a gigantic cushion that was about 5 times her size.

She had always known that there was more to the stories of her race about how they were supposedly abused and hunted by humans. Her parents had revealed to her the whole truth, about how their own race was not so innocent, how they had attacked villages, carrying off and raping the human women… etc.

But despite all that, Cyan had never been ashamed of her people. After all, it had been many centuries ago, and her people had evolved and grown beyond that. It was all in the past.

Then, something like this happened, and her friend was abused, humiliated, kidnapped and raped, by one who was partly of her own kind.

Cyan felt sick, as she thought of Achilles. Then she realized something. She realized that although her people thought they had learnt how to control the darkness inside them, it didn't mean that it was no longer there. To pretend that it didn't exist anymore, was practically giving it an invitation to come back.

'Maybe if we had been aware of it more,' Cyan thought. 'We would have noticed what was happening with Ixion, and could have done something to stop what he was turning into. By Tartarus, who knows, we may have even found out about what was happening to Achilles at his home, with his family.'

Although Cyan now loathed Achilles with a vengeance, there was still a small part of her that couldn't help, but feel pity towards the hybrid creature. He hadn't asked to be born the way he was. In a way, his parents had, since they hadn't gone to the island's genetists and had the necessary genetic treatments done, before they conceived. So they had decided to make him pay for their mistake.

No one knew who Achilles' family was, and frankly, no one really cared at the moment. Many people were just glad he was behind bars, where he belonged, including her. But Cyan was still curious, and she would love to see the people who had been responsible for making Achilles into the monster he was, pay for their cruelty.

Cyan realized she had been thinking about Achilles now for over 5 minutes, and shook her head furiously, to drive him out of his thoughts. She went back to thinking about Cassy, and wondered how her friend was doing.

'If she is still my friend?' she thought miserably. It had been over a week now since Cassy's ordeal, and she had yet to go see her. She wanted to, but she wasn't sure if she'd be welcome. After all, Achilles was a Centaur (or at least half Centaur) and so was she. Would seeing her bring back nightmares for Cassy?

Cyan wondered if she should go see Manty first, and see what he said, but again she wondered if he would make her welcome, or reject her on sight?

'What am I going to do?' she thought, and then closed her eyes briefly, in a pray to the Gods.

She had never really believed in religion, as most of New Olympus was mainly a people of scientists, but there were still the odd few who still believed. At this moment, she was desperate to try anything.

'Dear Gods on all Mount Olympus,' she prayed. 'What am I to do? Should I go see Manty first, or shouldn't I? Please, give me a sign.'

"Damn! Am I beat!" a loud voice boomed right over her, startling her right out of her reverie.

"What the…?" she began, but didn't finish, as a large shadow fell over her, followed by a heavy weight that came down.

0000000000000000000000000000

**Medical Centre; Half Hour Later: **

Manty sighed, as he dropped his disposable gloves, for his paws, into the waste-bin.

He didn't really want to be here, at the medical clinic, as he was too worried about Cassy to really concentrate on his work. But he had been falling behind on his schedule lately, and he was going to be of no use to Cassy, if he couldn't make any money to keep a roof over their heads.

"Doctor Mantius?" one of the nurse's called to him.

He looked behind him, and doubled back when he saw Cyan being headed towards him on a hover-table.

"Cyan?!" he said shocked, when he saw the bruises that were forming almost all over her body, and a miniature respirator that was attached to her face, to help her to breathe. Her chest and body looked as though it had been practically crushed.

He raced over to his adopted daughter's closest friend. "What happened?" he asked concerned. "Were you attacked?"

When Cyan saw him, she seemed to groan, and Manty could hear her saying something about 'be careful what you wish for'… Whatever that meant?

"Hey, Manty." She said weakly.

"What happened?" he repeated his question. "Did some people attack you?"

Cyan mumbled, and seemed to grow red in the face. "I wish," she said.

"Huh?" he said confused.

"No, I wasn't in a fight," she answered.

"Then what happened to you?"

Cyan mumbled something again, too low this time for even Manty's acute hearing to pick up.

"What?" he asked again.

She repeated, but again was too low for him to hear.

"Cyan!" he said, growing slightly agitated, as he examined her chest and the lower half of her body.

Cyan moaned, and her face seemed to glow red-hot.

"I got sat on." She finally revealed.

Manty stopped what he was doing, and have her a strange look.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, his eyes looking widely at her.

Cyan moaned again, and shut her eyes, looking for a place to hide. "I got sat on by that… stupid, blind, idiotic doofus of a cousin of Cyc's!"

"Orin?" Manty asked.

Cyan nodded. "I was at The River Styx, sitting down on one of the seat cushions they have there. I was just there, minding my own business, thinking, when… I guess I should've paid more attention to where I was sitting. The cushion I was on, was huge, so it was obviously meant for Olympians of the _bigger_ variety. Anyway, I was there, thinking to myself, and then Orin came by, didn't notice me, and then just sat down on me with that big fat ass of his!!!!"

Manty tried unsuccessfully to hold back a smirk, and a giggle that was threatening to form in his throat. "Well… Just be thankful you're still in one piece." He said genuinely, still trying not to laugh. "Cyclops are extremely well build, and exceedingly heavy… particularly when they sit down on something." He did laugh then.

Cyan gave him a dirty look. "Oh, sure, big laugh! Ha ha! You wouldn't be laughing if you had been the one who was stuck on a cushion, with a bulbous chunk of green blubber in your face, and crushing your bones!"

Manty laughed again, and wiped a tear from his eye. "You're right. I'm sorry, Cyan, but at least you're all right now."

"Yeah," she groaned, "right after the dancing was over."

"Dancing?"

Cyan moaned. "He wasn't on top of me for very long, thankfully. But when he got up, my legs got caught in his pants, and… And when he got up, I went with him. In fact, I went with him all over the damn dance floor!" Cyan groaned, as she fidgeted on the carrier.

"He was dancing all over the place," she continued, "shaking that huge ass of his, which I might add is his usual flirting style! Only thing is, whenever he shook, he shook me too, and nearly gave me a migraine because of it, not to mention vertigo!"

Manty burst out laughing again.

Cyan snorted. "I thought that would make you laugh! I can only imagine what Cyc is gonna say when he finds out. Oh, and here's the real funny part that you'll no doubt enjoy, Manty. They've decided to name a new dance after me, one that involves having a girl strapped to a guy's backside, and swung all over the place… They're calling it the 'Cyan Butt Swinger'!"

Manty's laughter became so loud that most of the nurses looked curiously at him.

Cyan mumbled, and breathed deep into her respirator.

"I'm sorry, Cyan." Manty said honestly. "Truly I am. I don't mean to make fun of you and your… _situation_. I just… I haven't had a good laugh in over a week."

Cyan looked at him, her anger gone, replaced with concern. "Because of Cassy?" she asked.

All the laughter seemed to drain out of Manty's face, at the mention of his daughter's name. "Yes." He said simply.

"How is she?"

Manty sighed. "Not too well, I'm afraid." He looked at her painfully. "Since those herbs that Achilles gave her, wore off. She's been having constant nightmares. I tried to coax her into discussing them with me, but she won't give an inch. She's completely closed herself off to anyone."

Cyan bit her lip, trying to coax herself into asking what she had been thinking about earlier… before getting sat on.

"Actually, Cyan," Manty suddenly asked, making her look up at him. "I was wondering if perhaps you, or Cyc, could come by and visit sometime? I mean, you two are Cassy's closest friends, her only friends if I'm not mistaken? So who better to help than you?"

Cyan looked at him in wonder, blinking her eyes. 'Thank you, Gods!' she added mentally, praising them.

"Yes!" she quickly said. "I'd love to. I can call Cyc, and ask him to come with me tomorrow, if that'll be all right?"

"Err, no," Manty replied. "I think it would be best to wait a few more days. Maybe I can still get to her. Wait 5 more days, and if nothing changes, then I'll call you and we'll arrange a meeting, okay?"

Cyan nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Manty nodded, and turned around, to go get some painkillers.

"Thank you, Gods." She thanked the Gods silently again. "But next time, when I ask for a sign. Do you think you could send me one _without_ me getting used as a seat cushion???"

"Oh, and Cyan?" Manty called back, over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Maybe the next time when you and I are both at The River Styx," he added with a grin, "You can show me how to do that new dance?" He waved his tail at her, twirling his backside.

Cyan tore off her respirator, ignoring the pain in her chest, and threw it at him.

0000000000000000000000000000

**The Following Morning; Manty's Apartment: **

Manty sighed, as he poured the last of Cassy's breakfast into the garbage disposal unit. Once again, she had refused to eat. She was becoming awfully thin and pale, but no matter what Manty tried to do, she still refused to eat.

Manty considered maybe forgetting about waiting the next 5 days, and just ask her friends, Cyc and Cyan, to come speak to her now. Maybe they could succeed where he had failed.

Cyan had seemed withdrawn lately. Most likely because of what had happened with Achilles, Cyan blamed herself for what had happened, since she had in some way gotten Cassy to go to that Centaur party, where she had met Achilles in the first place. And Achilles being part Centaur only made it worse, making her ashamed of her lineage.

Cassy didn't seem to harbour any resentment or bad feelings toward Cyan, but then again, it was hard to tell what was going through Cassy's head at the moment. She kept saying she was fine, and that nothing was wrong. Achilles had been sent to jail, there was nothing for her to worry about, so she just wanted to forget about it all.

Manty knew she couldn't just forget about all that had happened to her, but he knew better than to try and argue with her. He had dealt with rape victims before, and knew that many of them, after their ordeal, just wanted to forget about it, to pretend that it had never happened, so that they could get on with their lives.

Unfortunately, none of them could wipe out the memories for long. Eventually, the tension and pain would boil up inside them, until they had an emotional breakdown, and Manty didn't want to see that happen to Cassy.

"Cassy!" he called to his adopted daughter. "I was thinking, maybe we could go out later? Maybe go down to the beach or something?"

"No, I don't think so," Cassy called back. "I have some things I want to take care of today. Maybe tomorrow?"

"What are you doing today?" he asked curiously.

"I'm gonna try and find a new job," she replied.

Manty blinked in surprise. 'She's going out' he thought amazed. 'Maybe she isn't so bad off, as I originally thought?'

"What brought this on?" he asked.

Cassy came into the kitchen, and for a moment, Manty thought she looked just like her old self.

"No reason," she replied. "I just… I want to do something, other than simply sitting around, having bad dreams. So I've decided to go looking for work. I mean it can't be any worse than staying around here doing nothing, right?"

Manty nodded in understanding. "Do… Do you want to tell me about those bad dreams that you're having?"

Cassy paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "No, they don't matter anymore. Once I started getting busy again, they should go away in no time."

"Cassy, I… " Manty started.

"I have to go!" she said hurriedly. "I better get going, or else all the best jobs will be taken!" With that, she ran out the front door, which hissed shut behind her.

Manty sighed. "Well… that could have gone a lot better." He groaned.

0000000000000000000000000000

**City Streets; One Hour Later:**

'So deep have you sunk now, lying to Manty just to get away from him... God I wish I hadn't done this.'

Cassy felt really bad about what she was doing, but she simply couldn't stand it anymore that Manty was concerned about her. She really didn't feel worthy of his concern. She simply felt dirty, because not only had she allowed Achilles to do what he had done, but because she had openly participated in it, and herb or not, she had actually enjoyed it.

As she made her way through the city, trying to go as unnoticed as possible, she automatically avoided any places where someone she knew could be. And yet, every time someone looked in her direction, she felt like she was being told how filthy she was.

Finally, after two hours walking aimlessly around, she felt her feet hurting and sat down on a bench.

For some time, she simply sat there, doing nothing. Finally, she just wanted to get up, when she heard voices from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a Harpy couple talking with a female Minotaur. The female Harpy had a very rounded belly, a clear sign of pregnancy, and looked very proud of it. Her partner also literally seemed to beam with joy.

"So, when do the doctors say is the due date?" the female Minotaur asked them.

"They say in less then two weeks," the male Harpy told her, while holding his mate's belly with his paw.

Cassy didn't hear anymore of it, because these innocent words had started a new train of thoughts in her head, which at the moment was a rather dark place.

She remembered what she had generally learned from health class. She had no idea if it also applied to humans, although Manty had assured her that she wasn't physically so different from most of the New Olympian females, at least in the inside.

'Mood swings, check... Vomiting, check... No idea when my last period was, check... Gotten laid... Oh God, no!'

She suddenly had a horrible scene in her head. Lying on a medical table, her belly round with pregnancy, and screaming in pain while giving birth. And when the child finally left her... there was blood, so much blood. And in the middle of it, a mini-Achilles grinned at her.

"No...no...no!" Cassy breathed quietly, panic gripping her. What if she really was pregnant with this monster's child?

Getting up, she just wanted to get away from everyone. Far away from everyone, even herself.

It had been so good to be totally carefree with that herb. 'Of course, I totally forgot.'

She knew it was the coward's exit, but at that moment, in her total mental confusion, she couldn't care less. She had to get more of it, but she didn't know where to search?

Of course there was one place were she was sure that there was still a lot of it. But she felt almost sick at the mere idea of returning to Achilles' hut. But in the end, her need for that stuff won over her scruples.

She should have felt ashamed that she was behaving like a drug-addict, but she didn't even think about it, while she made her way to leave the city.

She only hoped that she still remembered the way to the hut.

0000000000000000000000000000

**Medical Centre; 9 Hours Later:**

"Well, it looks really good, all your bones heal nicely. Tomorrow you can leave," Manty told a Minotaur who had had a rather nasty accident on a construction site. Thankfully it had not went past broken bones and flesh wounds.

Making some notes, he told the nurse of the progress, before walking back to his desk. He had been so busy with work that he even had to skip lunch. Now it was early evening. The sun was nearly set outside, as he saw through one of the windows.

His mind wandered to Cassy. Surely she was already back home. He had faith that she was, even in her current state of mind, responsible enough. Opening his office door, he suddenly stopped when seeing what was on his desk.

'Well, the sooner I get THIS stuff from my desk, the sooner I can go home.' Manty realized, when seeing all the paperwork 'All this bureaucratic work will be my bane some day.' So he started to read through the files, marking cases as healed, and estimated the costs for the treatments, when...

"Damn, I will never get used to these small doors. This is discrimination!"

Looking up, Manty saw Cyc squeezing his way through his office door.

This made Manty smile a little. "I seem to be popular these days, but at least you are not one of my patients, unlike a certain Centaur girl yesterday."

"You would be better off not reminding her of that incident," Cyc warned him, "I made that error this morning, resulting in her becoming redder than I ever thought possible. And when I told her how cool the new dance was, it earned me a hoof kick against my shin." Cyc said the last sentence with a wince, indicating his leg.

Manty tried hard not to laugh. "Before I forget, what does Orin say to the whole incident in the club?"

Cyc looked a little embarrassed. "He was sorry that he had hurt her." He then grinned. "But he also asked me to ask her how she had liked to be so near to Heaven." At Manty's confused look, Cyc patted his rear, indicating what he meant. "What you've got a bod as hot as this, what girl in their right mind could resist getting close to one of our best parts?"

Manty rolled his eyes a little.

"I'm just glad now that I didn't ask her," Cyc added, sighing briefly in relief. "If I had, I would have no doubt gotten another kick."

Manty barely held his laughter back. "So he is still full of himself, huh? Well, no matter. How can I help you?"

Cyc hesitated a little, before he told Manty, "Well, eh... I knew you wanted us to wait a few days, but I got so worried. I wanted to see how Cassy was faring. But no one opened up when I was at your door roughly twenty minutes ago."

Manty dropped his pen when he heard this, and stared at the Cyclops, all traces of his earlier amusement gone.

"Err, did I say something wrong?" Cyc wondered.

0000000000000000000000000000

**The Wilderness:**

_Stupid...stupid... STUPID! _Cassy cursed to herself while trying to make her way through the wilderness of New Olympus.

She had really thought that she would remember the way, but after many hours of wandering, she had to admit that she was wrong, and now totally lost in the wilderness. It was still amazing that the forests and spare grasslands of the island were so big.

Nevertheless, she was lost.

She had never went so deep into the wilderness before, and it showed. She was a city girl, and had no idea were she was. To make it worse, it was dark now, as the sun had set some minutes ago. And the effects of starving herself and walking around all the day now hit her full force.

She was tired, _very_ tired, and her feet hurt like hell. She still managed to drag herself further, but she felt her legs becoming weak. She had just made it under a tree, on a clearing, before she collapsed.

Cassy was really scared, as she had no idea what kind of predators would wait for her in these forests. That, and the guilt was starting to rise inside her.

'Oh God, Manty will be sick with worry, and then he will have to ask Taurus to search for me again. All just because I'm a coward.'

Cassy felt like throwing up, but there was nothing left to bring up. Then she saw a shadow flying across the moon.

'What the...?'

"What are you doing out here?!" came a harsh voice suddenly from the darkness, and a huge, winged shadow landed in front of her.

The sudden scare was so much, and she was so weak, that she fainted on the spot.

The huge, winged shadow stood before her, as if wondering what to do next. Finally, he seemed to have made a decision, picked her carefully up, before jumping on a tree, extending his wings, and taking off.

Carrying Cassy, the shadow vanished into the night.

0000000000000000000000000000

**New Olympus Security Headquarters:**

"And you simply took this at face value...?" Taurus asked Manty astounded. He had just wanted to call it a day, when Manty had literally stormed in and told him what had happened.

Manty really felt like a bad father. His adoptive daughter was missing again, and he was partly at fault because he had simply accepted her obviously feigned interest at finding a job.

"I...I really thought she was better this morning," Manty finally said.

Taurus took a deep breath, before he finally said. "You should have really known better, you've had to deal with rape victims before... This is a really big mess." Taurus felt that this Human girl was slowly becoming a constant issue for security. "Have you checked all the places where she could be?"

"Everywhere. Her friends, and all the places where she hangs out at, or at least where she could feel safe. Nothing! I really should have gotten her professional help," Manty confessed.

"I doubt that you would have found someone willing to do the job," Taurus simply said, then looked at the facts. "So we have a confused, traumatized girl on our hands, who has run away and is now somewhere on this island."

Taurus sighed. "I hope we can find her. I don't want her to get hurt even more than she already has been."

0000000000000000000000000000

'I feel like a used doormat.' Cassy thought, when feeling returned to her. She felt so weak, so drained, that she could not manage to move. She couldn't even open her eyes. However, she felt that she was wrapped in some soft and warm blankets, and that the ground was too smooth to be the forest.

'How...? Oh yes, the shadow. I wonder what it was? I have never seen anything like that before.'

Her hearing soon returned too, and she was able to make out some voices very near to her.

_"I don't care what she is. Even she deserves help. She looks so...fragile."_

_Snort "Haven't you read our history books? You know what humans have done to our kind!"_

_"And I know what those bigots in the city can do! I wouldn't dare to send her back before knowing all that had happened."_

_"And I say call security to drag her back to their city. She should NOT stay here."_

_"ENOUGH!"_ That voice was especially loud, hurting Cassy's ears. _"She is clearly in need of help, and I want to know what has happened to her down there. You know how low the city dwellers can sink. We should know better than to draw simple conclusions!"_

_"Yes, leader,"_ came the hesitant response from the other voices.

_"For now, she can stay. I know that it can be a risk, but I doubt that she will go into a blood lust anytime soon. When she is awake, I will question her personally."_

The rest of the conversation slipped Cassy's mind, when her tiredness came back, and she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

0000000000000000000000000000

**The Next Morning:**

"Mhhhhh..." It was nice to actually have a night of sleep without nightmares, she must have really zonked out last night. "Mhhh... my bed is really hard, I should really ask Manty for a new mattress... Wait a moment! This is not my bed!"

Now wide-awake, Cassy literally threw away the covers. She had not even slept in a bed. It was a couch, and she had been wrapped in a number of blankets. She had slept in her clothes, which by now were in need of a wash, as they smelt. Looking around, Cassy noticed that the room was not so much different to what she had seen in the city.

The walls were laced with metal, the floor had some kind of carpet, and the furniture literally screamed that it was a living room. Only this living room was a lot bigger than any other she had seen before, maybe with the exception of Cyc's house. The dominating feature was a huge viewscreen, the New Olympian equivalent of television. Cassy just never watched it, as the Olympians only showed two programs, both strictly for information on the current status of the city, and both of them were as boring as Tartarus.

As she looked around, she saw that she was all-alone, as nobody else was there.

Then she felt something on her left wrist. Pulling back her sleeve, she saw a medical bracelet. She had seen them in the clinic, and as far as she understood, it was an IV, only much more compact, and it was locked; as she was unable to remove it.

'Okay... calm down.' She thought. ' Just look around, and get out.' Getting up, Cassy felt actually rather strong on her feet. Also, she didn't feel hungry.

'Must be some kind of liquid food and energizer they, whoever they are, have put into the bracelet.' She then saw a message on the table in front of her. Picking it up, she read it.

_If you're reading this, it means that you have woken up before dusk. There are only two doors in this room you can open. The one beside the screen leads to a lavatory; the other one is the exit. We have some questions for you, so don't try to leave._

"Who do they think they are?" Cassy said outraged. "I'm not some kind of prisoner!" Throwing the note aside, Cassy just wanted to leave.

There were four doors, so she tried the last three of them by random. The first two were locked, but the third opened to a hallway with probably more locked doors. But at the end of the hallway, she saw the daylight sky.

Walking to the exit, Cassy stopped abruptly when she reached it. The exit was actually an opening in a mountainside. She had a great overview over the isle, as she saw the city in the distance, and the ocean. Looking down, she saw that the mountain went straight down for at least 80 meters. Now she realized where she was. This complex was in the mountain that she had sometimes seen at the horizon.

"And I didn't even know what this place was called..." Now Cassy regretted having skipped the geography classes about the island. Returning to the living room, Cassy accepted that at the moment she had no choice, but to wait. Falling onto the couch, she still wondered who her mysterious hosts were?

'Could it be Harpies? They are the only species I know that can fly. But then why wait until dusk? This makes no sense... Which species could live so high in the mountains?

Having forgotten her other troubles and fears for now, she tried to remember anything that could help her solve this mystery.

0000000000000000000000000000

**River Styx Club; One Hour Before Sunset: **

Cyan signed, as she sat down on the seat cushions of The River Styx Night Club. This time, she triple sure that the cushion she sat on, was definitely meant for someone of her size, and NOT a Cyclops.

Manty had repaired all the bone fracture, cracked ribs, and such already. Aside from some slight bruises here and there along her skin, there was no indication that she had ever been hurt.

'Thank the Gods for that,' she thought gratefully. If someone noticed her injuries, she would no doubt have to explain them, and she definitely did _not_ feel like explaining them. She didn't think 'getting sat on by a Cyclops' would earn her a few straight faces.

She knew she was grasping at straws, as there had been more than enough people that night that saw the whole facade. She didn't think many, if any, would have seen her actually getting sat on, as they would have immediately told Orin about it, and he wouldn't have taken his sweet time in getting off of her. But she knew that plenty of New Olympians had seen her during 'the dance'.

Cyan growled inwardly. 'Whoever gave that dance that dumb name???' she thought angrily. 'The Cyan Butt Swinger… Humph!'

She could swear that a few Olympians were already eyeing her, recognizing her. As she bent her head down, hoping to go unnoticed, she suddenly heard a loud 'whee' noise from the right of her.

Cyan looked up curiously, and her eyes almost popped out when she saw a few girls she knew from school, dancing around, with their hands/claws on the rears of their dance partners.

"You've… got to be kidding me?!" she said amazed. It had only been one day, and already several students from her school were performing the dance she so despised.

"Orin!" she swore under her breath. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Someone calling for me?!" a large voice boomed above her, and Cyan looked up, startled, to find Orin beaming down on her.

"Hey, good-lookin!" he greeted her joyfully, and thankfully, did not sit down. "What's up?!"

Cyan growled tensely. "Thanks a lot, Orin," she said sarcastically. "Thanks to you, I may never be able to show my face around the island again!"

"What?" Orin asked confused. "What's the big deal?" he then noticed the dance that everyone was doing. "Ohhh… you're talking about that new dance that's named after you?"

Cyan sneered at him. "Gee, ya think?!"

Orin shrugged his massive shoulders. "Aw, come on! It's not all that bad. How many people can say they've had a dance named after them?"

Cyan felt like throttling him. "How many people have had a 300 pound butt crushed on top of them, and then are constantly reminded of it, all by a stupid dance???"

Orin looked a little offended. "I personally think it's more like 200 pounds, thank you very much." He made a show of flexing his muscles, and posing his backside.

Cyan snorted. "Whatever."

"Say!" Orin grinned at her. "Since you're here, and since you and I are the ones who started this dance anyway… You wanna have a go on the floor?" He rocked his hips from side to side. "I'm wearing a new pair of shorts for the occasion."

Cyan snarled, and kicked him with her might, using her right front hoof. The kick practically did nothing, as Cyclops skin was extremely dense, and hard to hurt.

Orin laughed, and walked away, heading towards a couple of his favourite Harpies who were already eyeing him, blowing kisses at him.

"One of these days…" Cyan clenched her fist.

"Hey, Cy!" Cyc's voice distracted her from her would-be arch enemy, and she looked up to see Cyc's jolly face, which was as cocky, obnoxious, and with a faint whiff of charm, just like his cousin, Orin's, though she'd be damned if she would ever admit it.

"Hey yourself," Cyan greeted her friend politely. "Where you been?"

Cyc flopped down on the extra large cushion beside her, rocking the floor a little as he did so, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Had to work late at the Baths," he told her. "But man, oh man, did I ever have a swell time!"

Cyan rolled her eyes, and imagined herself listening to hours of Cyc giving thorough descriptions of how he had spent the day massaging, and bathing, dozens of females. Sure enough, he started off with explaining about the four lady Minotaurs who came in during the morning.

"Cyc!" she hurriedly told him. "Much as I _enjoy_ listening to how you felt up half the women on New Olympus, I'm really not in the mood right now."

Cyc eyed her worriedly. "You alright?"

Cyan shrugged. "I've been better."

Cyc cocked his head at her. "You're not still ticked off about that Butt dance of yours, are ya?"

Cyan angrily snorted. "It's not one of the highlights of my day, no. But that's not the main thing that's bothering me, no."

"Then what?" Cyc asked, and then slowly it dawned on him. "You're still worried about Cassy, huh?"

Cyan nodded.

"Why don't you just go talk to her?" Cyc said, slightly exasperated. He was sick of his two best friends not speaking to one another.

Cyan snorted again. "And say what?! Sorry that one of my kind kidnapped, drugged and raped you. I hope we can still be friends?!"

Cyc suddenly grabbed Cyan in one of his large beefy hands, and looked her straight in the eyes. "Achilles is not, nor was he ever, one of your kind, Cyan!" he hissed to her seriously. "I doubt he was ever truly of anyone's kind. He lost that honour when he chose to beating us, and raping our friends."

Cyan looked at her friend in his own one eye, and sighed. "Maybe, but… he's still part Centaur, part of my kind. I honestly don't know if I can ever face Cassy again?"

"Why?" Cyc released her. "Just because that guy was half-Centaur, doesn't mean you're to blame for anything."

"But Cassy may not feel like that." Cyan voiced her fear. "What if… What if every time that she looks at me, she'll see a part of him? She may never be able to look at me again, at my horse-part, without thinking of the guy who violated her."

Cyc placed his hand on her back, stroking her reassuringly. "Cassy would never do that," he said honestly. "She knows you better than that."

Cyan shook her head. "What about what happened at the Centaur party? She didn't act all chummy with us, after we saved her. In fact, as I recall, she practically spit at us, and told us to leave her alone."

Cyc shook his own head fiercely. "She wasn't thinking straight, that's all! She had just been through a big trauma, and so she wasn't thinking clearly. Her head might be swimming just at the moment, but… She will get better, Cyan. You'll see."

Somehow, Cyan wasn't so sure. She frowned inwardly, wondering if she and her human would ever be friends again?

"Speaking of which," Cyc suddenly said. "I saw Manty a while ago, today. He seemed a little worried about Cassy for some reason."

"Huh, why?" Cyan looked up.

Cyc shrugged, and lazed out on the cushion he was on. "Beats me. Cassy told him she'd gone out to go look for a job. Seems she was sick of staying indoors, so she was gonna try and get a new job. Anyway, when I went over, no one was there, so I asked Manty about it. Guy was all white in the face when I told him. Guy's a little too jumpy if you ask me."

Cyan felt nervous. "You don't think anything's happened to Cassy again, do you?!"

Cyc shook his head. "Nah. You know how hard it was for Cassy to find a job, the first time. She's probably still looking right now, for all we know."

"Have you called Manty and asked him?!" she asked, feeling annoyed at Cyc's casualness at the situation.

Cyc looked at her. "I've been busy, alright. As well as those Minotaur ladies, I've had one Harpy, two Gorgons, four… "

Cyan growled in frustration, and rushed out the club, heading for the nearest communications device she could find.

0000000000000000000000000000

_Cassy screamed, as she lay on the surgery table, pushing. Her huge swollen belly shaking like it was in an earthquake. _

"_Come on, Cassy!" Manty urged from the end of the table, between her legs. _

_Cassy bit back tears, as the pain overwhelmed her when the baby's head began to move out of her. Despite the genetic enhancements she had had done to her, the treatment which allowed her to have intimacy with Olympians of the larger variety, and which was the only reason why the baby wasn't tearing her apart, the pain was nevertheless excruciating. _

_Cassy screamed one final time, and felt the infant squirm out of her, and slide into Manty's waiting paws. _

_She couldn't see over, as the tears were clouding her vision, but she could hear Manty gasp in horror. _

"_By the Gods," she heard him swore. "What in the name of Zeus is that?!" _

_Cassy furiously blinked the tears from her eyes, and forced herself to look up. _

_There, lying in Manty's hands, was a miniature Achilles, almost identical in every detail, with the exception of its small size. It looked up from Manty's paws, saw its mother, and seemed to call to her, giving out a strange cry that sounded like a cross between a Cow's moo and a Horse's neigh. _

_Cassy wanted to scream again, but this time in terror, but before she could even take the breath, the young creature started to grow. In less than a few seconds, the creature grew to twice the size of Manty, so fast that Manty had to drop him and back off in fear. _

_The rest of the medical staff was equally as afraid, and hurried out of surgery, with Manty close behind them. _

"_No!" Cassy screamed after him. "Don't leave me, please!" But by then, Manty was already gone. _

_Before long, the beast had reached the same height and stature, as that of its father, Achilles. Cassy whimpered in fear. _

_Suddenly, the door opened, and Cyc and Taurus walked in, neither of them noticing the younger Achilles. _

"_Look out!" Cassy tried to warn them, but couldn't get up from the table. _

_Taurus and Cyc both turned to the large Mino-Centaur, but were too late to notice its attack. It leapt upon them, its large hands grasping the flesh of their faces, pulling it from their bones. _

_Taurus and Cyc hardly fought back, and just seemed to stand there, waiting until it had finished with them, until all that was left was a skinless skull where each of them once stood. _

_The young Achilles roared its triumph to the heavens, thumping its chest like a Gorilla. _

_Just then, the door opened again, and Cyan walked in. The moment the creature saw her, it too leapt upon her, slammed her head against the wall with her backside against him. Cyan screamed, as the creature mounted her, thrusting into her at full force. _

_Cassy whimpered, as she futilely struggled in her bonds, until a large powerful hand suddenly slapped down on her. _

_Cassy froze, like a block of ice, as she knew who it was before she could ever see his face. _

"_Like father, like son," Achilles slurred, and bent his head down to kiss her. _

Cassy screamed, as she leapt up out of bed, or what she thought was her bed. She breathed heavily for a few minutes, while she got her bearings back.

"Where… " she began silently, but stopped, as her memories returned. "Oh, that's right. I'm in this… this mountain place."

She looked around, and saw that the sun was beginning to set. "I must have dozed off," she deduced, and sat back down on the couch.

'Well, at least I won't have long to wait until my hosts arrive now,' she thought. She still hadn't figured out who her mysterious hosts were. She had been rattling her brains nearly all day, but aside from the Harpies, she didn't know any other species that could live so high up in this altitude.

After finally giving up, she had been so bored that she turned on the viewscreen. But she had realized quick that it hadn't been a good idea.

As interesting as the news, and complaints, about the traffic jams in the inner city, and statements of security officers, they had only added to her boredom. So she had turned it off, and, with nothing to do, sat twiddling her thumbs.

Watching the progressing dusk through the open door, she prepared to meet whoever lived up there. The only thing she really knew was that her hosts were obviously somewhat paranoid. She had no other explanation for this really strange behaviour, and all the locked doors.

'They obviously don't want to harm me. But why not simply return me to the city?' she again asked herself.

'And why wait until sunset? I mean, from the things I do remember, I can guess that at least some of them, whoever they are, would like to get rid of me.'

And then was still the question of what they actually wanted from her? Why go through all the trouble of bringing her here, giving her a place to sleep, feeding her and improving her health? Cassy really wanted to know what their agenda was.

She tried not to think of Manty, Taurus or her friends. She felt so ashamed of her actions now that she wished she could sink into the ground and vanish. So, not thinking of them was the only way to not let her mood become even worse.

Finally, the sun went down. And suddenly, Cassy jumped up in fear, when from behind the doors she heard cracking and **roaring**! She had heard many things since her arrival on the island, but _nothing_ like this. It sounded like a pack of lions just waking up.

But as quick as it had begun, it was over.

Waiting, Cassy was nervous. What kind of creature could make such noise? Just then, one of the doors opened, and Cassy couldn't help but stare. The being before her was something she had never seen before.

It was humanoid, roughly 1.85 meters tall, wore a blue tank top and square loincloth, had bright pink skin and huge, bat-like wings on the back. Looking closer, Cassy noticed the pronounced hip, and the very generous sized breasts under the tank top, clearly showing that this was a female.

But unlike any other female she had seen, and that included Gorgons and Minotaurs, this one was totally bald, without even a single hair on her head.

But that didn't mean that she was ugly. On the contrary, she was still a beauty, just in a different way. She had a brow ridge with small horns, pointed ears, a prominent tail, and wolf-like feet with claws on the toes.

Cassy had no idea which species this female was, and she saw several others behind her, some male, some female, with many different skin and hair colours, horns and wing configurations.

Cassy was unable to say anything.

She just saw the pink female inspecting her from head to toe. It made her uncomfortable, as she felt like she was under a microscope. But at least the female didn't look at her with distaste, as some of the others did.

Finally, the female said, "Welcome to Mt. Thanatos. I'm Sphinx, leader of the New Olympian gargoyle clan. And I have some questions for you, Human."

_**To Be Continued... **_


	5. Chapter 5

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previous Episode:**_

_Manty nodded in understanding. "Do… Do you want to tell me about those bad dreams that you're having?" _

_Cassy paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "No, they don't matter anymore. Once I started getting busy again, they should go away in no time." _

"_Cassy, I…" Manty started as she looked towards the door._

"_I have to go!" she exclaimed hurriedly, clutching at her chest. "I better get going, or… else all the best jobs will be taken!" With that, she ran out the front door, which hissed as it closed behind her. _

_Manty closed his eyes and breathed in heavily, claws digging into his paw. The sharp pain was no consolation. _

_----_

_It was still amazing that the forests and spare grasslands of the island were so big. _

_The feeling of amazement was only secondary to her feeling of uncertainty. Maybe, maybe if things were different…she would stand in amazement staring at the complete difference between the robotic city and the wide open spaces, as if someone dropped New York City in the centre of the African Savannah…albeit the savannah had less dangerous animals lurking among the grasses and trees. _

_She had never gone so deep into the wilderness before. She was a city girl born in one city stranded in another. Naturally she had no idea were she was. Cassandra had never gone anywhere without being accompanied by at least one friend or an acquaintance. _

_And yet, it didn't stop her. _

_Hot tears pouring from eyes, she gripped her shoulders and continued walking._

_----_

_For now, she can stay. I know that it can be a risk, but I doubt that she will go into a blood lust anytime soon. When she is awake, I will question her personally."_

_----_

_"Welcome to Mt. Thanatos. I'm Sphinx, leader of the New Olympian gargoyle clan. And I have some questions for you, human."_

_**-The Angels of New Olympus, Part I-**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Angels of New Olympus, Part II**

Cassy swallowed hard. She had never before even heard of "Gargoyles", at least not living breathing ones. The ones on Notre Dame she was aware of, and the ones that lifelessly adorned buildings around human cities. No one had ever mentioned that they were a living species. She had never accounted anything on gargoyles in her readings; despite all the paper work Mrs. Neptune had assigned her over the years (and sometimes her alone). Up to now, she had no idea that this species even existed!

Maybe she shouldn't be surprised? After all, the New Olympians kept their ancestor's treatment of humans under wraps.

Anything else that could be hiding in the closets of New Olympus and this Sphinx's direct manner was making her nervous as hell, if not just plain unsettled.

Intimidated by all this, she simply said nothing, and simply stared towards the gargess. Her heavy breath was the only noise coming from her mouth.

Long seconds went by. Cassy breathed heavily, as Sphinx tapped her claw on her arm, waiting. Finally, Sphinx seemed to realize why Cassy speechless. "Look, we don't want to eat you, or anything like that. I simply want to know some things from you. For example, why were out in the forests during the night? Don't you know that there are beasts out in the forest?"

Still, there was no reaction. 'Great, she is more scared of us than I thought...' Looking back to the others, she ordered them, "Get out. I will talk with her alone."

"But, leader..." one of the males wanted to interject, but Sphinx would not let him speak out.

"No buts. She is not any danger to us. And with you here, I will never get any answers. She's crowded and needs some breathing room and fresh air!"

The male sighed. "Very well then... Come, let's leave her alone with this..._human_." The male pronounced the last word extra loudly, and with a touch of venom, and then he left with the others, leaving Sphinx alone with Cassy. Sphinx snorted over her shoulder, raising her lip over sharp white fangs.

Putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, she finally received a reaction, when Cassy blinked and stuttered. "W-what are G-gargoyles?"

Sphinx was taken aback by this question. She pulled back her hand, chewing on her lip. This human had no idea who or what they were? She had a suspicion why that was, but kept silent about it for now. She crossed her arms. "What do you mean by that?"

"I-I never heard of Gargoyles, or Mt. Thanatos... Never ever," she got out, slowly losing her fear. Sphinx's gruff behaviour reminded her greatly of a close friend. She knew neither would ever cause her harm.

Rolling her eyes, Sphinx now looked annoyed. "I should have expected that. Not that the city dwellers are keen of us, despite their _so-called_ respect for our race. No wonder that they now try to simply erase us from their collective memory."

Cassy was surprised. She had always thought that, while all New Olympians had something against humans, they were all on a friendly basis in regard to all other species on the island. But Sphinx sounded bitter, if not irritated, like the punk from a high school that the preps liked to ignore. "Eh, pardon? Are you something like, the dirty secret of the island?"

She could have sworn that there was a short red glimmer in Sphinx' eyes, but then it was gone. Sphinx snorted. "We have nothing to be ashamed of. It's them who have started it. But enough of my clan, that is a small worry for the time being. I still need to know what brought you into the middle of the forest at night."

Cassy had to sit down, needed to sit down, fearful. She really did not want to recount the story. She sucked in her breath and forced out, "Do you know what happened to me?"

"Not really. I only know that Chief Taurus had asked us to search for you, after you were abducted by some... thing. And later he told us that you were found. Other than that I have no idea who you are, nor what has happened." Sphinx spoke honestly, but there was a tone of curiosity and care for Cassy's general well being to her voice.

Cassy groaned. That meant that she had to tell Sphinx the whole story, with all the horrific and embarrassing details. Face in her hands, she swallowed hard. "Look... it is still hard for me to talk about it... I hope you won't mind if I leave out the more disturbing things."

"No, I might not really trust you right now, but I've sworn not to cause anyone, who is not an enemy or an obvious threat, any harm. And I doubt you qualify as an enemy, or a threat despite what…they say. My clan has read all the stories about humans. Most were quite disappointed at the sight of you lying on the forest floor, like a rag doll. They expected a huge brute..." Sphinx said, gesturing with her arms someone who was tall and wide and bent over like a caveman.

Cassy had to try hard not to roll her eyes. She knew by now that in the old stories about humans was a distortion of what humanity was like-physically and mentally. It was the equivalent the Human's portrayal of Wolves, Gorillas…and Minotaurs, Harpies…and the like. She chewed on her finger in thought.

At least talking with Sphinx had managed to get her somewhat relaxed. She was still agitated by her situation, but at least she was no longer in danger or alone. "Well, then I better start at the beginning. It all started in a club called the River Styx..."

**00000000000000000000000000**

**Mt. Thanatos, Half An Hour Later:**

"This is one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard of..." Sphinx finally told Cassy, really shocked by so much sexual brutality and disregard for life. She scoffed, the bile rising in her stomach, wanting to puke, or even to bathe.

What this Achilles had done was so... pitiless. This human, this human girl, this doll like figure found in forest, was no bent over brute carrying a sword or club. She was young, helpless, and innocent… To do something to this child, in such debauchery, was simply disgusting and heartbreaking. The more she had heard from this human girl, the more she understood her, and the more she sympathized with her.

All the humiliation, fear and shame that Cassy was going through right now, and will be coping with for years to come. She had to admit this human girl had gone through miles of hell, crawling on all fours.

Cassy had paused several times when the memories became too weighty. When she had told Sphinx of what Achilles had done with her, she had nearly burst into tears. Thankfully, Sphinx had told her to skip the details of the rapes.

Now that Cassy was finished, she sat there, wiping her running nose on the sleeve of her jacket. But it had been too much her to tell all this, she also felt a little relieved that she had been able to get all this off her chest. To actually share her pain with someone who was not a close friend and more forthcoming than the other denizens of New Olympus made it a little more bearable…just a little bit more.

"So that's the story." She was not able to call him by name. And she still saw this Achilles-II of her dreams before her mind's eye. "And now you know why I was in the forest... Oh God, how will they look at me when you return me to the city... No! I can't face them. Not yet!" Hiding her face in her hands, she had to try hard not to loose her composure.

Sphinx knew that this was coming. She put an arm on the human's shoulder. "Why do you think I will return you against your will? If you are not ready yet, you can wait up here." In truth, she should not really do this without first consulting the rest of the clan, but she didn't see this human as any threat. She saw no harm in letting her stay. She saw benefits, at least for Cassy's sake and her own (giving Cassy some desperately needed support and to provide comfort for her own conscience, Sphinx could only feel guilty and she knew she would only feel guiltier if she turned down this girl's plea for help).

Cassy's head shot up. That was unexpected. "What?! But...but... why?"

"For one," she held up a clawed finger, and smiled, "remember my oath. That, and I know how cruel the city can be..." Sphinx then went silent.

Cassy watched Sphinx, saying nothing, her features hardened, looking very much like those gargoyles on Notre Dame. Sphinx had already made several comments in the way that there was a much broken peace between her clan and the city dwellers. But she had no idea what actually had gone down between the two. Knowing the behaviours of the New Olympians all too well, she could only guess the emotional outcome of the situation. Seeing that in her current foul mood, Sphinx would not take a question kindly, so she waited, hands on her lap, looking at the wall.

Some minutes went by and finally Sphinx looked over to her. "You want to know why we live so isolated, right?"

Cassy nodded.

Sphinx took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was hard for Cassy to tell Sphinx such a traumatic story, incredibly hard. It was only fair for Sphinx to speak of the Gargoyles' own troubles. "Very well. You must know, at the beginning, the Gargoyles went along with the New Olympians without problem. But the more time went by, the more the Gargoyles became isolated in society, discriminated and generally were looked down at."

That made Cassy curious. "Why? Race doesn't seem to be a big issue in the city, at least not with other Olympians."

Sphinx looked sad. "It was because of several reasons. For one, Gargoyles can't interbreed with New Olympians. Even the most modern medical science hasn't changed that. We are, because of a still unknown reason, incompatible. Which is strange, because there ARE old stories of successful matings with humans. Nonetheless... It caused the Gargoyles to not merge with the other ethnics. It furthered isolation, because the Gargoyles stayed with their own kind. It's in our blood, we protect, we live and die in clans, and die protecting. If we don't have either, we die anyway. But there is something else…"

Sphinx paused, seemingly to think on what words to use. "We Gargoyles are, in other aspects, also different from the others. While the New Olympians all share a common history, we are not part of it. Gargoyles are a totally separate species, and live, like I mentioned, completely different from New Olympian society. And with time they saw us as outsiders, socially and geographically."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Oh, that old song..."

"So finally the clan decided to move away from the city to Mt. Thanatos. But this isolation only deepened the problems. And now the relations between Mt. Thanatos and the city are next to non-existent. And after what happened ten years ago, we dare not to go near the city anymore." Sphinx then stopped.

"What happened ten years ago?" Cassy asked.

Sphinx grounded her teeth together. "That was when I became leader... while I still was too young for it, and because of what happened to the leader back then. See... "

_**...Flashback, Ten Years Ago...**_

_"No, Boreas! You can deal with this problem on your own!" Osmosis stormed out of the office, his young second-in-command waiting for him outside._

_"Leader, what happened?" Sphinx asked, concerned._

_Osmosis tried to calm down before he answered, "Boreas really has nerve. He asked if we could help out, until the current shortage of security personnel is over. Do we look like security for hire?"_

_Sphinx too found this idea ridiculous, as the clan had stopped watching over the city many years ago. The wilderness was now their territory. "Seems that you have reminded him of that," she finally said dryly._

_"Come, let's return home..." Osmosis then simply said. They wanted to scale up a building, when suddenly a brick hit Osmosis at the back of his head! The brick broke in half upon impact. Blood trickled down the back of his head._

_"Arrgh!" roaring in pain, the huge Gargoyle turned around cupping the back of his head, only to be confronted with a group of very drunk teenager Centaurs._

_Having drunk away their brains hours ago, they simply attacked the two gargoyles like mad in their alcohol-created rage..._

_**...The present...**_

"...When security finally came to get those idiots off our backs, it was already too late for our leader. He died in my arms. I sprinkled his ashes in the forest he protected on a windless day, making sure that not one ash ends up in that city. Since then we have had no real contact with the city," concluded Sphinx in her tale.

"I...I had no idea. I was at the receiving end of drunk Centaurs too, but I never imagined that it could lead to them killing someone."

Sphinx looked sad. "You see now why we avoid the city dwellers. I will only return you if you ask so. If you want to stay for a little time..."

Cassy sighed and returned her gaze to her hands and feet. "But after what I heard, not all of your clan are as nice as you. Some of them seem to downright despise me. I don't think I would be welcome here."

Sphinx waved it off. She snorted. "Irrelevant. They would not dare to defy me. Also they don't hate you. They just, mostly fear what they do not understand."

Cassy needed to mull over it. She did not feel like returning to the city at the moment. Sphinx' offer was tempting, but on the other hand she didn't want Manty and her friends to worry over her well being, they had been through almost as much as she had been, and she knew the fear and worry of being unable to do anything, unable to find her, to help her was harrowing. "I know I need some time away from everything, but I can't let my friends worry over my well-being."

"That will be no problem. We have the means to send a voice message of you that can't be traced, so they'll at least know that you are all right. What do you think?" Sphinx asked her, hoping that the girl would say yes. After all the pain and hell this young girl had gone through, she really needed time to get even with herself.

Cassy decided, and she spoke up, "Okay, I will accept the offer. I can only hope that I do the right thing and that your clan will warm up to me."

And for the first time since she had met her, Sphinx gave her a little smile of approval.

**00000000000000000000000000**

**Manty's Apartment: **

Manty paced the floor, his claws outstretched in agitation, leaving claw-marks all along the carpet. It had been a whole day, and sill nothing had been heard of his adoptive daughter.

'This seems to be becoming a regular occurrence,' he thought bitterly. First, Cassy had been missing when she went to that dreaded Centaur party, then when she went after Achilles and got kidnapped by him.

Manty moaned, hoping against hope that nothing else had happened to her. She had already gone through so much, what with her near rape at the party, and then actually being raped by Achilles. Cassy said she didn't remember anything of it, but he had a feeling she was not being fully truthful.

Part of him wondered what was becoming of that monster now. He hoped that the creature was going through Tartarus, after what he did to Cassy.

Suddenly, his telecom sounded, indicating an incoming call. He rushed over to his viewscreen, activating it with a touch of his paw.

"_Manty?" _Cassy's voice sounded through, but with no image on the viewscreen. "_Can you hear me?" _

Manty heaved a sigh of relief. "Cassy? Thank the Gods you're all right! Where are you?"

There was a pause, and for a moment, Manty feared that she had disconnected the call.

"_I'm fine." _Her voice returned. "_I'm sorry I worried you, but… Look, I just need some time away, okay?" _

"What do you mean?" Manty's voice started to sound panicky, as he tried to reason with her. "You have to come home right away. Taurus has got every officer looking for you."

There was a slight groan from the telecom. "_I was afraid of that. Look, I'm sorry for worrying you all, but… Please! Please, just don't worry. I didn't wanna cause anyone concern, but with everything that's happened… I'm not… I'm just not myself right now. I need some time away, to get my head back together. I promise I'll call again, when I can." _

"Cassy, wait!" Manty all but yelled, but by then, Cassy had already terminated the call.

Manty swore, and immediately reactivated the communications device. "Security Centre!" he commanded. "Chief Taurus!"

A few seconds later, Taurus's face appeared on the viewscreen. _What is it, Manty?" _Taurus's rough, but concerned, voice came through.

"I've just had a call from Cassy," Manty reported anxiously. "She said she was fine, but she didn't want to come home yet… She said she wanted to stay away for the time being."

"_Did she say where she was staying? Did you notice anything in the background, when she called?" _Taurus asked, his security training coming through.

Manty shook his head, shaking his mane as he did so. "No. It was an audio only, and she wouldn't say anything about where she was staying. She just said she needed some time away."

Taurus nodded his head. "_I'll see if we can get a trace on where her call came from. Did she call just this minute, before you contacted me?" _

"Yes."

"_I'll get my men on it right away. Don't worry, Manty. We'll find out where she is soon." _Taurus promised.

00000000000000000000000000

**Cyan's Home: **

"Okay… " Cyan answered her telecom, Manty's worried face on the screen. "Don't worry, Manty. I'll call if she calls, or if I find out anything. Promise." She deactivated the screen and trotted over to her couch, relaxing into it.

"Oh, Cassy," she moaned. "What have you gone and gotten yourself into this time?!"

Suddenly, a loud booming noise sounded on her front door. From the large sound it made, and the rattling that it was causing the door, Cyan guessed immediately who it was.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she mused under her breath, "my knight in shining armour."

She got up and walked over to the front door, answering it. And there, sure enough, was Cyc's big face looking in at her, his one huge eye filled with worry.

"Have you heard anything?" he asked urgently.

Cyan nodded, and indicated for him to come in. "Manty just called. Seems Cassy contacted him to let him know she was doing fine. Wouldn't say where she was though, but Taurus is seeing whether he can trace the call right now."

Cyc breathed heavily. "Well, thank the Gods she's okay." His face suddenly took on a dark look. "But Zeus help her when I get my hands on her!" He gripped his hands together tightly. "Several hours she's had me looking through this whole island for her, worrying about her!"

"Oh, quit your grouching!" Cyan kicked his foot with her hoof. "It's been a long day for all of us! Do you know how many times I had to gallop through that swamp? You don't hear me complaining about it though, do you?"

Cyc grumbled, but didn't say anything.

"Look, just go and park your butt over there," she pointed to the sitting room, "and I'll make us some drinks."

Cyc muttered a small thanks, and went over to sit down in Cyan's living room. "So Cassy didn't give a word about where she was?" he called back to her.

"Not a word," Cyan answered. "Just said she was fine, and that she needed to get away for a while."

Cyc shrugged his massive shoulders. "Maybe that's the best thing?" he thought out loud.

"Huh?" Cyan came in with the drinks. "What was that?"

Cyc looked at her, as he took his drink from her hand. "Well, think about it, Cy. After everything that Cass's been through. Is it any wonder that she's not quite right in the head? Maybe getting away from it all, is what she needs right now? Some time to get her head in order."

Cyan frowned, as she sipped her drink. She had to admit that it did make sense. If only she knew for certain that her friend was okay, then she wouldn't be feeling so insecure right now.

"Say you're right?" she asked Cyc. "Say that all she needs is time to get over things. How do we know for certain that she's okay? I mean, she could be living in the wilderness for all we know, no food, no shelter. She could be killing herself for all we know!"

Cyc gave her a bemused look. "Last time I checked, they don't have communication devices in the wilderness."

Cyan closed her mouth then, as she knew he had her there. "Still," she finally spoke after a few moments. "Aren't you in the least bit concerned?"

Cyc gave her an angry look. "Of course I'm concerned! Aren't I the one who spent several hours walking my feet off, looking for Cassy?! But the point is, as much as I want to find her, there's no way to make her come home by force. We'll just have to wait to see what she's gonna do. That's all."

Cyan grumbled, but knew deep down that he was right. "Fine!" she finally said grudgingly. "When did you become so sensitive and understanding anyway?"

Cyc gave her an almost blank look. "Who, me? I'm just making this up as I go along, so don't take my word for it."

Cyan frowned at him, as he gave her one of his usual cocky grins. "So, aside from all the _endless_ walking you've done today," she empathized his overestimated searching for the day. "Is there anything new going on?"

Cyc shrugged. "Nothing much. Everyone we know has either been looking for Cassy, or couldn't be bothered." He growled a little, wondering how some people could live with themselves by not caring about others. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh, wait. I forgot, something else did happen the other day, just before I went looking for Cassy."

"Oh, what?" Cyan asked, genuinely interested. After all the bad news lately, she needed something positive to hear about.

"Well, work at the Baths has been okay, but it doesn't pay as much as it should," Cyc explained. "So I went to Orin, to ask if he could find me some extra work. Anyway, he got back to me, just before I went off in search of Cass, and said that he had found me a job. Oh, Orin says hi by the way."

Cyan grumbled under her breath, remembering the last, and exceedingly embarrassing, time when she had seen Cyc's boisterous cousin, Orin. She still couldn't lift up her head in public, not after being twirled about at his backside like a tail, and getting a dance named after her for the sake of it.

Thankfully, Cyc didn't seem intent on torturing her with that humiliation today, as he seemed more intent on telling her about his latest news.

"So, Orin managed to pull a few strings and got me a job at The River Styx! Can you believe it?" he said excitedly.

Cyan paused in her drink, and looked up at him. "At the club?" she asked curiously.

Cyc nodded.

Cyan frowned. "Cyc, I know Cyclops'… _mature_ a lot faster than most Olympians, but even so, aren't you still quite young to be serving alcohol drinks?"

Cyc laughed. "Who said anything about serving drinks?"

"Oh," Cyan said, understanding now. "You mean you're going to be manual labour, like setting up the tables, cleaning the floors, and all that?"

Cyc looked offended. "Tartarus, no! You think I would ever lower myself to do work like that?! That's Gorgon work."

'Better not let Echidna hear you say that,' she smiled inwardly, referring to Boreas's Gorgon advisor who was one of Cassy's biggest oppressors. She was very vain about her state of office, and often boasted about her job. Cassy had once mentioned that Echidna reminded her of a human woman she had met once with her parents, an arrogant woman by the name of Yale…Margaret, Margery, or something like that.

'Guess everyone must have a counterpart somewhere in the world,' she thought bemused. "So what kind of a job have you got then?" she asked out loud.

Cyc grinned. "Only the coolest job ever, my girl! In fact, now that I think about it, all this walking I've been doing should help loose some of the extra fat on me. Never hurts to stay in shape, and man, do I need to stay in shape for this gig."

"Doing what?"

"I get to work alongside Orin!" Cyc said excitedly.

Cyan blinked. "Umm, no offence, Cyc. You are an accomplished fighter, I won't deny you that, as you've certainly helped Cassy and me out of a few scraps. But… do you really think you're ready to become a full bouncer with Orin? I mean, Orin's told us _countless_ times about the number of people he's had to throw out of the club, from rampaging Centaurs, to even drunken males of your own kind. Do you really think that…"

"Oh no!" Cyc held up his hands, waving them at her. "No, you misunderstood. I'm not gonna be a bouncer. Nah, not even Orin would be able to get the bosses to believe I'm old enough for that. Though all that walking did do some good for my leg muscles, so I could definitely kick some butt."

"Oh," Cyan said confused. "But I thought you said you were going to be working with Orin?"

"I am," Cyc nodded. "Just not as a bouncer."

Cyan rubbed her head. "But… Orin is the bouncer, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but that's not his only job." Cyc admitted.

"What else does he do?" Cyan asked curiously.

Cyc then gave one of his huge cocky grins again, this time even bigger than before, and he waved his finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah," he cooed at her. "Mustn't ask, or you'll spoil the surprise."

"Surprise?" she looked at him blankly. "You weren't even thinking about it until I asked you. How can it be a surprise?"

He shrugged. "Because I just thought of it, and I think it'll be fun."

"You bas… "

"Well, look at the time!" he suddenly announced, and got up to leave. "It's getting late, and I really should get going. I gotta rehearse for my new gig."

'Gig?' Cyan thought confused. "Wait a minute! Just when are we going to see this new job of yours anyway?"

Cyc's grin never left his face. "Soon. I'll talk to Orin about getting you free passes. So long as you don't buy any alcohol, and no one asks your age, you'll be okay."

"Alcohol? Age?" Cyan stared at him. "Cyc, you're not planning on getting me into some underworld club, are you?"

"Huh?" Cyc looked at her in confusion, before he suddenly realized what she was implying. "Oh, Tartarus, no! Geez, after all we've been through with illegal parties, and mysterious dark strangers, I wouldn't take the chance."

"So where are we going?" she asked, interested.

Cyc shrugged. "Only to The River Styx."

"That's all?!" she said exasperated. "Geez, you make up all this… "

"On Friday night!" he quickly added.

Cyan stopped and stared at him. "Friday night? But… No one underage is allowed there after 6pm?"

"Exactly!" Cyc laughed. "Don't worry though. I'll talk to Orin and get him to cough up some passes for you and… " He was about to say Cassy, before he remembered that none of them knew for sure when she'd be back. "Well, I'll get him to get us a couple of tickets. We've still got a week yet, before my job starts. Maybe she'll be back by then, and if she is, then we can celebrate!"

"While you're working?"

"Trust me." He winked at her. "This kind of job, you'll like."

Something about the way he was grinning was disturbing Cyan even more than usual. She just knew from the look in his eyes that he was up to something.

"Cyc!" she demanded. "What is this new job of yours?"

Cyc was about to start waving his hands at her again, but this time she was not going to be distracted.

"Don't try that 'waving hands' routine of yours again! What am I, five years old? Now tell me, just what is your job?!" she looked him square in the eye.

Cyc gulped a little at her deep glare. "Well, you see, work as a bouncer doesn't pay much, so Orin does a second job on Friday and Saturday nights."

"But he doesn't work as a bouncer?" Cyan asked.

Cyc nodded. "Yeah, he does… Well, it's sort of a gig, which he does every Friday and Saturday. He's very popular with it, let me tell you. And he makes tones of money! Anyway, he knew I was looking for some extra work, so he offered me a… a partnership."

"A partnership?" she exclaimed.

"Well, the gig's not big," Cyc admitted. "But we're literally doing the same thing, so we're both getting the same deal, hence the partner thing. Orin thinks that if there's two of us, we'll get double the money, but don't worry, it's nothing illegal. Orin maybe a bit over the top, but he's no crook, and believe you me… This is absolutely nothing that I wouldn't wanna do."

'Somehow, that doesn't comfort me in the least,' she thought. "And what is the gig?" she repeated again.

Cyc was about to answer, when Cyan's telecom began to sound off again.

"Oops! There's your phone, better answer it, I'd better be off, see ya!" Before Cyan could even blink, Cyc rushed out of her house, through the front door, and down the street faster than she could breathe.

"You shmuck!" she swore silently, but sighed defeated. The only thing she could do now was wait a week, when Cyc's job started, and see what happened.

'Gods, please don't let me regret this decision.' She prayed hopefully, but deep down, and knowing Cyc as well as she did, she had a feeling that wasn't going to be the case.

Sighing, she walked over to the telecom to answer it, but no sooner had she arrived at the screen, it deactivated.

00000000000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos: **

Cassy worked the controls, as Sphinx had shown her. She inputted her friend, Cyan's number and waited for her to answer, but after a few ring-tones, she slammed her hand down, and cut the signal.

'Stupid!' she shouted at herself mentally. She had tried to bring herself to talk with her former best friend, but she had chickened out at the last second.

"Why do I even bother?" she muttered to herself, and sat down.

She stayed like that for the next few minutes, idly watching the communications device, almost as though she were waiting for it to start ringing. She knew that was impossible of course, as the Gargoyles here had said that no one knew the number, and they had ensured that no one could trace it.

Cassy frowned, as she wondered if that were true. She was sure that the Gargoyles here were no idiots, as they had already demonstrated their brilliant minds. But they had been living up in the mountains for quite a few years now, and during that time, the Olympians technology had further advanced. So for all she knew, Taurus might have already traced the call back here, and if not, then he might do so soon.

Cassy knew she shouldn't worry about such trifle things, but the thing was, she had to. If she didn't, then her mind started to turn back to darker worries. Particularly about the one growing inside of her.

Cassy instantly shut her eyes, and tried with all her might to suppress her fears, but try as she could, they came anyway. She envisioned the inside of her womb, all warm and dark, and right at the centre of it, she saw a little lump of flesh growing inside of her, taking on the form of a black bull with the backside of a horse, and a devilish grin, its hooves kicking against her…

Cassy jumped out of her skin, as she swore she could feel the kick inside her. But after a while, she calmed herself down, and admitted that that was silly. Even if she was pregnant, she was less than a few weeks gone. The baby wouldn't have developed bones yet, let along legs and hooves to kick her.

'But then again,' she thought. 'This isn't a human baby, so… So how am I to know at what speed it grows?' She felt panicky again, as she considered that, for all she knew, she might wake up tomorrow morning with a huge swollen belly throbbing with kicks, or worse.

"Oh God," she moaned, as she hugged herself, feeling sick again, the bile rising from her stomach and to her head.

"Cassy?" Sphinx's voice came to her, waking her up from her reverie.

"Huh?" Cassy looked up in surprise, as Sphinx looked at her in concern. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just… thinking about something. Didn't mean to scare you."

"Nothing ever scares me," Sphinx said fearlessly. "But I am concerned. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Couldn't be better," Cassy said assuredly, getting up quickly. "Are we going to meet the other members of your clan now?"

After a short look in her eyes, Sphinx sighed and nodded, indicating her to follow her.

"My clan may appear fierce, but many are quite nice and were very concerned over your condition. Others may appear a bit standoffish. Their motives are mostly centred on the fact that you came from the city," Sphinx explained. "And you'll have to excuse them as well; they are currently feasting since the hunt earlier currently turned up nothing, but you."

Cassy, flushing, nodded.

Sphinx nodded back, and took Cassy by her arm, leading her down the carved hallways.

Halfway down the hallway, a female gargoyle, dark blue in colour with dark green hair, braided and cut in a style befitting Cleopatra, rushed down the hallway with a flat woven basket filled with small oranges. The female would have wrecked into Cassy and Sphinx, plus flung her oranges across the hallway, if the two did not quickly move out of the way. As it was, the female bumped Cassy, sending a few oranges rolling out of the basket. Cassy caught one and handed it to the female, who was staring wide-eyed at her.

"Cassy, this is Pandora, she is in charge of our larder," Sphinx explained. "Pandora, this is Cassy."

Pandora nearly dropped her basket when she reached out to shake Cassandra's hand. She pressed the basket against her stomach to keep the oranges from spilling and shook Cassandra's hand. "It is a joy to meet you, and see you up and about! Is she feasting with us tonight, Sphinx?"

"If Cassandra wishes such, she may," Sphinx said.

"Do you wish such?" Pandora asked excitedly.

Cassy did not know how to respond. A hunger pang ran up her body. She answered for lack of better words, "I guess so."

Pandora, with the basket of oranges balancing on her head, and Sphinx took Cassy down to the dining hall.

Gargoyles were milling around a massive table laden with food. At the sight of the human, they all stood up, glaring, glancing, and whispering amongst each other.

A massive male, robin egg blue, with a forked tail that appeared to be almost two tails, slammed his fist on the table. "That human is not feasting with us!"

He stormed up to Sphinx. Arms wide, he exclaimed, "How can you let that outsider come to our table? She cannot appreciate the ways of the Gargoyle."

"She has been very grateful for our ways so far, so I would advise sitting down, Typhoon," Sphinx said, cocking a spiked eyebrow.

Typhoon snorted, hot air shooting out of his nostrils like a boar, he glanced over his shoulder at Cassandra, eyes flashing for a moment, and then sat down at the table.

Sphinx patted Cassy's shoulder. They both sat down at the table where a few gargoyles grumbled and looked at her suspiciously. Sphinx pointed to an elderly female with grey skin, the colour of clay, and streaking brown hair that was held in a bun. She carried trays of food, and judging by the smell, it was most likely roast meat.

"This is Vespa, she is the oldest gargoyle here," Sphinx explained. "She rarely speaks, and she is the mother of Icarus."

Sphinx gestured at another gargoyle, the same shade of grey as Vespa. His blond hair was cropped close to his head, and tiny horns poked through his curls like a crown. He carried two heavy trays of chalices filled with water or fruit juices.

"Ah," Sphinx said, as Vespa walked over with the plates of meat. She smiled broadly and warmly, like a grandmother, at Cassandra.

"Oh, dear child," she said, as she looked at Cassandra. "You're so thin! How do you expect to bring males to you with a chest so flat? You need to eat!"

Cassy blushed, as Vespa set a plate laden of flood in front of her.

Pandora broke out in laughter. "That is Vespa. She is always talking like that. She loves young people and babies so much."

However, no one laughed together with Pandora, apparently not finding it funny in the slightest, or even amusing. Pandora herself stopped laughing when she noticed this, especially when she noticed the hurt look that Vespa gave her. She sunk down into her seat.

Cassy wondered why the dining hall, once noisy whether it was with excitement or low growls, was now silence. Then she realized that there were no children with them, not even teenagers, those who were not respectful enough to remain quiet when the adults silence. There were only adult gargoyles were seated at the table with her.

'Strange,' she thought. 'I wonder where all the children are…?' Suddenly, she thought sadly. 'Maybe the clan didn't want them anywhere near me? I'll ask Sphinx about it later.'

Another protest from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten any real food in some time. While the liquids had held off hunger pangs, it was only momentary. She need something more filling and longer lasting.

And the grilled meat that was being served, looked really fresh. Unlike the meat that was available in the city, which had gone through storage and refinement, if not actually artificially produced. While the refined meat had the same proteins as fresh meat, it tasted somewhat like out of the can, meaning that it tasted much like nothing.

Testing the meat, its taste reminded her of a fresh steak. Seeing that the other gargoyles did not hold back their hungers either, she dug into it, with ferocity that made even the gargoyles proud.

00000000000000000000000000

**Half An Hour Later:**

Cassy had to admit that this had been the best meal she had had in years. The clan had told her that all of their food was actually fresh, because they detested the stuff that was artificially created in the food refinement plants. They said that while it filled the stomach, it simply lacked everything else, including taste, something that Cassy had to agree fully with. She felt the same way about diet cola.

To be honest, she had never really thought about where the food was grown, and where the meat came from. While she had heard of food stock animals and farms, she had never actually seen them. To her, it was simply the packaged food that was bought on the market. It hadn't been that much different from when she still lived in the human world.

The clan was starting to clean off the table, when Sphinx approached Cassy. "I have to tend to some matters, but I think Vespa can show you around while I'm busy. Is this okay with you?"

Cassy had some doubts about it. During the meal, Vespa had always given her big portions and asked her more than once if she wanted more every time Cassy put a fork up to her mouth. It was as if she was suddenly her newest project. 'Stupid,' she abolished herself. 'She just wants to be nice, nothing else.' "No, that's fine." She answered out-loud.

Sphinx told Vespa to tend to Cassy, which she seemed all too eager to do. She headed to the door and left the two alone.

Vespa said nothing at first, but sniffed at Cassy's clothes. As she inspected the human's garments more closely, she looked disapproving at her. She pulled on the hem. "Say, child, when is the last time you washed these? They are already starting to stink up the place. You smell like a stable."

Now that Vespa mentioned it, Cassy had to admit that the fabric really smelt. It was becoming more and more obvious as she stood there. She knew gargoyles had to have sensitive noses, like most New Olympians, maybe that is why some avoided her during the feast. "Eh... I've worn them now for nearly two days."

Vespa shook her head. She tugged on the clothes like a leash. "No, no, no. I can't let you walk around here in these smelly and dirty clothes. Also, I think you need a bath too. Come, let's get you cleaned up first."

Cassy wondered how she could live through that. She was strongly reminded of her grandmother, who had been very keen about such things too. Following the old female through the maze of corridors, they finally arrived in something that looked like a dressing room.

"Behind that door is our bathing lake, where there should be some soap too. Now please strip down, so that I can put them into the laundry," Vespa told Cassy and turned around, giving her a little privacy.

Cassy blushed almost deep red. 'This isn't any different from the bathing house,' she thought embarrassed. She still didn't feel comfortable bathing in public. 'Just be glad that she won't watch you undress.' Unable to control the red tint of her skin, Cassy stripped as fast as possible, grabbing a towel to at least cover a little of herself. She handed her clothes over to Vesper.

"It won't take long, child. Just try to relax." Then Vespa left her alone.

'Well, then... I should be thankful that no one else seems to be here.' Walking through the door, Cassy saw that Vespa had not lied. She was in a rather big cavern, which was filled with a lake. The air was cold, causing goosebumps to form up and down her limbs. Everything looked natural, totally unlike the city baths. Even the water smelt natural, welcoming.

"I guess they want to bathe in nature." She thought out-loud. Grabbing a piece of soap from a near stone, Cassy threw the towel on the ground, and then walked into the cold water. "Brrr..." her teeth chattered. "Still, it's better than being dirty."

The cold water urged her to clean up as fast as possible. Still, it felt good to finally get rid of two days worth of dirt and grime, and to do it once, for the first time in years, without anyone watching. Diving under the water, to let the water soak into her hair, Cassy felt like a mermaid. It was so refreshing.

Throwing the soap to the shore, she swam around in the lake, enjoying the chill of the water on her skin.

After a few minutes, she walked back to the shore. She grabbed the towel, dried herself up, and then wrapped it around her hair. She then walked back into the dressing room, but just when she entered, Vespa walked in with her freshly cleaned clothes in her claws.

Cassy again blushed hotly, and covered herself as much as possible with her hands. Thankfully, the old gargess noticed her discomfort. "I will wait outside," she said, and put down Cassy's belongings, then left her alone.

00000000000000000000000000

**One Hour Later:**

What Vespa had shown her of the gargoyle's dwelling was simply fantastic. While most of it was built into the mountain with modern means, some caverns had remained natural. And Vespa had shown her next to everything, with the same enthusiasm of an elderly woman showing off her trinket collection.

They had encountered many of the clan along the way. Some had looked at her with unveiled hostility, whilst others had at least greeted her. Most of them were just indifferent, and ignored her, walking by. At least none lifted their noses and sniffed the air like earlier.

But one thing again was obvious. Cassy saw no children and no teenaged gargoyles. All of them were adults. Vespa seemed to avoid one of the caverns. Cassy had seen only a glimpse of it. It was a rather small room, with a big stone circle impression carved in the middle. This room seemed exceptionally warmer than other rooms within the mountain, but it was empty.

The tour had ended finally at the cave's mouth, leading to the mountainside, looking towards the city. There, the two of them just sat, watching the bright city.

"Have you ever been there?" Cassy asked Vespa.

Vespa shrugged. "Only a few times. I actually lived there early in my childhood. My mate, may his soul find peace, always said that I shouldn't bother to return, since we are not welcome there." Vespa sighed. "When I was a child, and that was almost over 120 years ago, we had just moved away from the city. We were simply unable to bear the segregation any longer, so we decided to leave as a whole. At least here we are left alone."

There was emphasis on the word "alone".

Cassy felt that this was a topic still uneasy for her. Obviously, Vespa had endured things in her childhood that were as bad, as the daily racism that she herself had to endure.

Vespa shifted to a different topic. "And poor Sphinx... Osmosis had been the best leader we had for almost 300 years. She still struggles to be as good as he was." Vespa shook her head, obviously sad. "She had been too young really, to become leader. I hope she won't break under the pressure."

That was actually a surprise for Cassy. To her, Sphinx seemed relaxed, and a rather joyful person. She took everything in stride and bared the weight of all problems.

"And she feels so lonely... She fears that she will stay alone with no one ever at her side, this eats her up from the inside out, almost every day." Vespa then went silent, as if she had walked into a minefield.

"I noticed something, while you were showing me around." Cassy decided to take a risk and ask the question that had been plaguing her almost all night. "Your clan only seems to consist of adults. Why are there no children?"

The second she asked this, Cassy wished that she hadn't, because as soon as this was out, tears started to run down Vespa's face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"No... it is not your fault... It is the curse that lasts on our clan... We have no future..." Vespa almost sobbed, clearly feeling much emotional pain.

Cassy was shocked at Vespa's words. "You have no future...?"

"No more hatchlings... There has already been too much inbreeding amongst us... The older ones lost the will to breed any more. That's what 2000 years of isolation did to us!" Vespa cried, now completely in tears.

Cassy finally realized what she meant. There were no children... because they were unable to make children. Something deep in them prevented them from doing so, because they were all too closely related to each other. There were would be no future generations... and no hope.

Suddenly, she felt rather insignificant with her problems. She and her fears were nothing against this. It was like a slow ethnic cleansing. And the hopelessness of this clan, who had appeared to her as so strong, was a sobering thought.

Vespa sat there with her face in her claws, still sobbing. "We are dying, child..."

_**To Be Continued... **_


	6. Chapter 6

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34

**On the Previous Episode:**

_"This is one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard of..." Sphinx finally told Cassy, really shocked by so much sexual brutality and disregard for life. She scoffed, the bile rising in her stomach, wanting to puke, or even to bathe. _

_000000000000000_

_"So that's the story." She was not able to call him by name. And she still saw this Achilles-II of her dreams before her mind's eye. "And now you know why I was in the forest... Oh God, how will they look at me when you return me to the city... No! I can't face them. Not yet!" Hiding her face in her hands, she had to try hard not to loose her composure._

_Sphinx knew that this was coming. She put an arm on the human's shoulder. "Why do you think I will return you against you will? If you are not ready yet, you can wait up here."_

_000000000000000_

_Sphinx took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was hard for Cassy to tell Sphinx such a traumatic story, incredibly hard. It was only fair for Sphinx to speak of the Gargoyles' own troubles. "Very well. You must know, at the beginning, the Gargoyles went along with the New Olympians without problem. But the more time went by, the more the Gargoyles became isolated in society, discriminated and generally were looked down at."_

_000000000000000_

_Cassy decided, and she spoke up, "Okay, I will accept the offer. I can only hope that I do the right thing and that your clan will warm up to me."_

_000000000000000_

_"I noticed something while you showed me around. Your clan only seems to consist of adults. Why are there no children?" Cassy wished that she had not asked this, because as soon as this was out, tears started to run down Vespa's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."_

_"No... it is not your fault... It is the curse that lasts on our clan... We have no future..." Vespa almost sobbed, clearly feeling much emotional pain._

_Cassy was shocked at Vespa's words. "You have no future...?"_

_"No more hatchlings... instincts stopping us from inbreeding even more... The older ones lost the will to breed any more... That's what 2000 years of isolation did to us!" Vespa cried, now completely in tears._

_**-The Angels of New Olympus, Part II-**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Angels of New Olympus, Part III**

Vespa didn't stop crying. She didn't seem to acknowledge Cassy anymore, so Cassy thought it best to give her some space. Excusing herself, she walked back to the living room, what Vespa had told her about, which was still fresh in her mind.

But after the initial shock, questions arose in her. Had the inbreeding caused the Gargoyles to become sterile?

She had read something in a book once, before coming to New Olympus, about how the Egyptian Pharaohs had sometimes married their own daughters, to ensure the royal bloodline would stay pure. It was believed that this was what had caused the Pharaohs to die out, by constant inbreeding.

Was that what was happening to the Gargoyles… or was it something completely different?

She also remembered once hearing that if people were to have children with members of their own family, their children would be born hideous and deformed. But as far as she knew, that was just an old wives tale, so she didn't know if it was true? She would have to ask Manty about it sometime, as he was a genetist.

She did remember seeing a television program once, of that old show… She couldn't recall the name, but it was about two secret agents who were always solving strange crimes, involving the supernatural and such. She remembered seeing an episode, just before going on vacation to Greece, where the agents had found a farm where the whole family had been having children with each other for generations, resulting in hideous genetic deformity.

She was so deep in thoughts, that she ran head first into Icarus.

"Oof!"

It was like running into a wall, a soft wall, but not soft enough. And while that had not really hurt her, the following hard fall on her butt was enough to hurt both her posterior, and her pride.

Thankfully, the big Gargoyle reached down and pulled her up. "Easy," he said calmly. "Walking around with your head in the clouds isn't something you should do. What if next time you walk into a real wall?" Icarus told her.

"Sorry... but I have... much to think about," Cassy lamely explained her behaviour. While she did so, she took a closer look at the Gargoyle. While he was undoubtedly Vespa's son, he also showed his age. Seeing his hair starting to grey at his temples, and the slight wrinkles, she guessed that Icarus already was, at least in human terms, in his late forties to early fifties. Since Vespa was his mother, she guessed that she had to be at least over 70, or more likely 80 (in human terms).

"Your mom is in a rather sad mood just now," Cassy then told Icarus, thinking that Vespa's own son might be able to give her the support that she herself couldn't give the old gargess. "Maybe you should tend to her?"

"Oh dear... Let me guess, she told you of our... problem, right?" Icarus didn't sound very surprised. "After I didn't manage to find a mate, she was always happy for the hatchlings of the others. It had been hard for her to accept the bad news about the disaster. Please excuse me, I think she needs me now..." Icarus then left her.

'Disaster?' Cassy thought. 'Oh, he must mean the death of the last leader.' She frowned. 'Maybe I should find Sphinx, as she surely can tell me more about this.' Cassy thought while searching for the pink female.

At first, she had no success. But finally, she found her on a sort of perch, on a balcony that overlooked the forests of the island. Cassy found that it looked like the ideal place for romance, which for all she knew might very well have been its previous function.

Noticing her, Sphinx hopped off the perch. "Hello, Cassandra. So what do you think so far of our home?"

"What I have seen is fantastic. But there is something else..." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Vespa told me that there wouldn't be anymore children? I don't really understand it."

Sphinx' expression became sad, and she had to sit down. "I didn't think she would tell you about it... For nearly 50 years now, no new hatchlings have brought joy to our clan. I have never even seen one, as my generation was the last..."

Sphinx seemed deep in thoughts, so Cassy decided to ask further. Talking about children made her nervous, since she still feared what might be growing inside of her. But she pushed away the thought. "But why? What happened to you that you couldn't have any children? Have you become... you know, sterile?"

Sphinx' dry laugh was nearly scary. "It is not that... "She took a deep breath. "You must know… We Gargoyles have strong instincts that prevent us from breeding with close relatives. Every Gargoyle has a scent that's similar to the rest of their family, or blood relatives. That's how we're able to tell if someone is a relation or not. If that Gargoyle is a relation, then our instincts practically shout out at us not to go anywhere near that Gargoyle on a Breeder's Moon… "

'Breeder's Moon?' Cassy thought, but didn't interrupt.

"When our ancestors first arrived here, there were many of us, all from different clans in Greece. But because of the island's isolation, we had all been cut off from the rest of the gargoyles in the world. And now, because of no contact with the outside world, after 2000 years, my generation is ALL too closely related to each other. Our own nature now prevents us from even finding a spark of romantic attraction to another Gargoyle in the clan, not to speak of actual mating."

Sphinx took a deep breath. Obviously, her own frustration of being forced to a lonely life was a heavy burden for her. "When that became clear in our young teenage years, the older generations lost the will to breed anymore, not wanting to have even more hatchlings to endure this fate, and called off the Breeder's Moon planned in the following year."

"Breeder's Moon?" Cassy asked.

"Once, every ten years, our nature tells us to find a mate, to breed and conceive eggs." Sphinx explained to her. "These will be laid after 6 months, and hatch after about 2 and a half years. Most of us can resist the call, even if it is a little unpleasant. Those who can't, either spend the night locked up in one of the rooms, or spend hours gliding around the island with the rest of us. If there are no compatible mates around, then there's no chance of a mating taking place, so they just wander about aimlessly until the night is spent."

Cassy had no idea that Gargoyles were actually egg-layers, especially after seeing the big mammals of the females. 'They must be like a Platypus… They lay eggs, but also breast feed their young ones...wow!'

But hearing Sphinx speak of the years past, suddenly made Cassy realize something else. "Wait, you said you hatched 50 years ago? But you look as if you're just reaching your mid-twenties. How is that possible?"

"We Gargoyles only age at half the rate as you Humans go by. At dawn, you will see why. Let it be a surprise for you," Sphinx told her cryptically. Then she added, "That reminds me, we don't have any beds up here. I hope you can accept to continue sleeping on our couch."

Cassy actually missed her bed, but it was still better than sleeping on the hard floor. Still, she wondered what Sphinx was hiding, and why didn't they have any beds? Did they sleep on the floor? "It's no problem... I just have no idea how to pass the time. It's night, I'm wide awake, and have no clue what to do."

Sphinx smiled now. "Oh, I can think of something to show you. You surely will find it very interesting."

000000000000000000000

**At the same time, New Olympus Security Centre:**

Taurus felt like someone was mocking him. For hours now, he had tried to decipher the coding of the call that Cassy had made, to trace back the broadcast signal. But the more he looked at it, the more he realized that the Com that Cassy had used, had been tampered with. The coding was extremely complex, and full of false trails.

Taking another sip of his energy drink to keep himself awake, Taurus continued to go through the endless lines of codes. He felt like the numbers and letters were laughing at him, saying that they would keep their secret and he would only fail.

But he would not fail! He had vowed not to give up until he knew exactly where Cassy was. He had even phoned his neighbour to ask her if she would tend to his pet fish, since he would not be home for some time. Calypso had used his call to flirt with him a little.

'She sure is a nice woman, that naiad maiden.' He thought, smiling. 'When I return Cassy to the city, I really should introduce them.'

Calypso had been quite curious about Elisa, when she had come to the city, meaning that most likely she would take a liking to Cassandra. In many ways, Calypso was a sixteen-year-old girl.

But first, Taurus had to find her. And when he managed to do so, he felt like giving her a spanking, to remind her not to pull such stunts again. Traumatized or not, making them all worry about her was not a game.

Groaning at the lines of code, Taurus returned to the task at hand. It would still take him hours to go through this code-jungle, to find the information he wanted. It was so well constructed, that the computers were helpless, forcing him to do it all by hand.

He would find her though. This was certain, for his sake.

000000000000000000000

**New Olympus Psychiatric Hospital: **

A Saurian, a 7-foot tall humanoid lizard, walked down the long hall of several cells, looking through the energy force fields, checking on each of the patients.

"Okay, guys!" he yelled loudly, and tapped his hand with his stick. "You know the drill! It's bedtime, so that means the lights are out in 3, 2… 1!"

The yellow lights of the hospital flicked off, and a few curse words were sounded from the mental patients. Aside from a small light that was in each of the cells, the hall was almost completely dark.

The warden stopped at a massive cell, with a level-5 force field at the opening, and the inside covered with motion detectors.

The cell was black, black as night in a cave. With the exception of the glare of the few hallway lights on metal chains, and perhaps the shining of a blue-black pelt, one could barely tell if there was individual in the cell. There was a rattle of heavy chains, the scratch of them being dragged across the floor for a few instances, as if the patient was only repositioning himself.

The hospital had never used chains, but there had been no other choice. When the patient had first regained conscious and found himself there, in the bare hospital room, he had flown into a fit of unspeakable rage, attacking and maiming everything in sight.

They had tried all the usual standard methods of procedure. They attempted to sedate him, but because of his unique physiology, the drugs had quickly worn off, so quickly that appeared to have no affect at all other than throw him off balance, where his stumbles caused just as much damage as his rages. They had then tried straightjackets, but he had easily broken out of them, as though they were no more than wet paper tissue. After that, they attempted to use a restraining field, like a mini-force field, but he had broken out of that, almost as easily as he had done with the straightjacket.

The reason being was that the restraining field wasn't as powerful as a full force field, and could break under an extreme amount of stress. However, they had had yet to find anyone who could wield that kind of power… until that is, before this patient had come along.

The doctors finally decided that they would have to use simple metal chains. The chains they had used were forged of full-reinforced metal, and many times thick. So far, it appeared to be working, as the patient had been unable to break loose. He had fought them nearly all the way, so much so that the guards had had to stun him several times, before he finally lost conscious again. Since then, he had grown quiet, and had remained as such ever since.

"This one's already learning," the warden said to the guard standing beside him, noticing that the patient's lights were out. Usually, the new patients took at least a week before they got into the drill of knowing when to switch off their lights. Those of them that had enough sanity that is.

The guard, a young Satyr, put his hands behind his back. "They lights have been off all day, and all of yesterday, sir. Aside from when the doctors came and had a look at him," he responded nervously. "He won't turn them on voluntarily. We thought he was up to something, and used heat sensors on him, but he just sits there and stares at the wall. Doesn't move much, I don't even think he's explored all the corners of his cell. He can move a few feet in his cell… but he just won't."

"You mean that's what he's been doing this entire time?" the warden said, lightly tapping on the wall. "Just sitting on his ass?" He thought for a moment. He had seen a lot of patients in his time, including some who had gone into a catatonic state, like this one. But from what he had heard, this guy had almost torn down the place with his bare hands. He hadn't been there personally, as he had been off sick for a few days at the time.

"I thought the guy had a real temper?" he asked. "Attacked everything in sight?"

The guard nodded. "When he first arrived," he said, "we thought he was gonna bring the whole place down. But after a while, he started bawling like a baby. Then after that, he just went all quiet and stayed as still as a mouse. Been that way ever since." The guard shuddered slightly. "The guy ain't right in his head. Why do you think they sent him here instead of at Security Head Quarters? If this crazy SOB gets loose in the centre of the city, ain't no telling what Tartarus he'll raise."

"Jeez," the warden responded, peering into the cell. "Funny. Usually the tough patients last a few weeks before they finally break. I would have expected this one to last a few months." He peered closer at the Mino-Centaur. "Ain't he the one that raped that human?"

"Yeah," the guard replied.

"Sick," the warden responded.

"Yeah," the Satyr grinned. "Doing it with a Human! Guess that's what happens when parents don't get pre-conception treatment. They end up with little… err, BIG freaks like this!"

They both guffawed, while the patient simply sat and watched the wall.

The warden tapped on the wall. He whispered to the guard. "We have to get this place looking presentable. Patients need to be on their best behavior, or heavily sedated at least. Make sure the more troublesome ones are moved to the back rooms. Got that?"

"Got it. What's going on?" the guard asked.

"Senator Roan is paying a visit; he's going for his fifth time in office," the warden said. "He's doing a tour of some kind again. Didn't think he'd show his face around here. Guess you can only use that children's hospital bit so often before it gets stale."

"Serious? Well I guess there's been worse scum here," the guard answered dryly.

"Good one," the warden said, elbowing the guard in the stomach with a hearty laugh. "When's your relief coming?"

"'Bout fifteen minutes or so," the guard answered.

"This guy ain't goin nowhere. Wanna go get a beer down at the Maenad?" the warden offered.

"Hades, yes!" the guard answered.

"Lights out!" the warden shouted lazily at irregular intervals down the hallway, occasionally banging on the wall with his nightstick.

Inside his dark cell, smelling heavily of disinfectant and cold iron, Achilles stared into the darkness, twiddling his fingers.

'_Mother…where are you? Answer my cries…'_

000000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos; Hours Later, Near Dawn:**

Sphinx had been right… It had been quite interesting.

Cassy still had some gaps in her knowledge of New Olympian history, and what Sphinx had shown her was fantastic. The recordings of the clan, some of them from even before their re-location to New Olympus.

She remembered that the librarian had been quite the history buff. That, and he weren't afraid to talk about the history that was considered taboo in the New Olympian society. And it didn't paint a very nice picture at all, especially when the Humans were concerned.

Humans and New Olympians had certainly been at war, as the history books stated. Hate had gone deep, at the time of ancient Greece, on both sides. The Humans felt threatened, and quite rightfully so in a number of cases, by the New Olympians. Cassy remembered the stories of the Cyclops that Cyc had told her, and shuddered.

'Small wonder why the people went to war,' she thought. But even so, that didn't grant them the right to destroy nearly every single Olympian in the country. Most of them had been innocent bystanders, and hadn't even involved themselves in the war.

Some of the Olympians had felt superior, and felt that the Humans should be their servants. Some Humans had felt the same way about their race too, and thought the Olympians should be their slaves. So there had been a superiority complex to boot as well.

It had ended with the Humans winning, after gaining the upper hand after years of war, not because they were stronger, but because of their large number and pure will to push back the 'monsters'. And after some successful raids, which literally massacred the numbers of Olympians, they were winning.

It sounded almost like the end of a heroic tale, but apparently the Humans didn't stop until they were sure every last Olympians was dead or gone, even those who had surrendered, or had not even been in the war. The Olympians had then left Greece.

The Gargoyles of Greece had had the bad luck to somehow get involved in the war. Because of their looks, they were thrown into the same pot as the original Olympians, resulting in them leaving with them.

But now it was near dawn, and the clan had retreated into what they called the 'sun room'. A room deep inside the mountain, with reflectors mounted on the walls. The walls themselves had big holes in them. Cassy wondered what their function was.

Some of the clan had protested at allowing her to be with them in this room, saying that it was too dangerous to allow her in there. Some others had gone to her defence, saying that she was no danger.

In the end, the protesters said something like, "If you are wrong, you will know within a few seconds." Something that still perplexed her.

Just then, the sun rose outside, its light reflected by a system of mirrors through small tunnels in the mountain, right into the 'sun room'. And while this happened, Cassy's eyes threatened to fall out when she saw what happened to the Gargoyles…

In front of her, all the Gargoyles had turned into massive stone statues.

000000000000000000000

**City Centre; An Hour Later: **

Cyan walked, while Cyc stomped, down the road, on their way to school.

"It's a crime to be going to school on such a fine day!" Cyc moaned aloud. "All this beautiful sunshine, not a cloud in the sky… "

"Oh shut up!" Cyan snapped at him. "I'm not exactly happy with the situation myself, you know! Especially with…"

Cyc turned and gave her a sharp look. "Look! We agreed that Cassy has to be the one to come to us, okay?"

Cyan moaned slightly. "I know what we said, but maybe… "

"No!" Cyc said firmly for once. "Cassy has made it clear that she doesn't want to be found. If we were to go find her, she'd simply run away again and…. Please, don't make me go through this conversation again with you, Cyc? It was bad enough the first time."

Cyan smiled a little. "Okay, you win. I'm too tired to argue anyway. This first day back at school is gonna be tough enough as it is."

"Yeah, Cassy had the right idea in running away now."

"By the way, did you write up your chemistry report?" Cyan asked him.

"We take chemistry?" Cyc asked blankly.

Cyan sighed.

"Oh, by the way," Cyc suddenly mentioned. "Mind if we take a short detour? I have to see Orin about something?"

Cyan checked her watch. It was still a good half hour till school, so they had time. "Sure, why?"

"I wanna go through some… _stuff_, about the job I'm doing with him." Cyc replied seemingly unsure.

Cyan eyed him suspiciously. "O-kay then. But make it quick, alright?"

"Great!" Cyc grinned. "Since you're in a rush, how's about we take the fast way to the club?"

"What fassssssssss…!" Cyan yelped, as Cyc easily scooped her up, placed her on his shoulder, and began running all the way to The River Styx.

"CCCCYYYYYYCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!!"

000000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos; Same Time: **

Cassy lay on the couch, thinking about all that she had learnt in the last few hours. Compared to the problems facing the Gargoyles, hers seemed pretty small now.

Sure, she had been raped and such, but she was still alive, she had family and friends, now even more with the addition of the clan. All things considering, she was doing okay. At least her species wasn't facing total extinction like the clan.

But even so, she still had a lot of things to work through. She had been avoiding it up till now, but now that she was all alone, with nothing to do, she could do except think, and her thoughts kept wandering back to the little life growing inside of her.

'Life?' she thought, a little amazed that she had started referring it to as such. Up till then, she had just been calling it a thing, or a little monster, the spawn of its father, the beast who had… She still couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, even in thought.

"What am I to do with you?" she asked out loud, touching her stomach. She hadn't even told the clan of her… possible condition. She still didn't know for sure yet, but she certainly seemed to have all the symptoms. And since this was a different species growing inside her, there was no way to tell how it was going to grow and be born.

"If I am pregnant," she asked herself. "What am I going to do? I'm too young to have a baby. I can't support a family. And what kind of a life is this baby going to have?"

She remembered the stories that Achilles had told her of his parents. Despite his insanity, and everything, she still believed in what he had told her. There hadn't been any deceit in his eyes when he had told her, and his rage and grief had been far too real to be an act. Which only made this decision even worse to make.

She considered aborting the baby, but the moment she said those words in her mind, she knew she could never go through with it, when the time came. How could she bring herself to kill her own baby? If she could, then she'd be no better than Achilles, Proteus, and all the worse scum of history that she heard so much about, and grew to hate.

So, if abortion was out, then what wasn't? Keep the baby?

The more Cassy thought about it, the uneasier she felt. She was still so young, and she had a lot of plans for the coming years. She wanted a career; she wanted to learn more about the New Olympians and their culture, and to help bring them and her own people closer together. How could she do all that if she were burdened with a baby to raise?

'And what kind of a baby would it be?' she thought unsteadily. She remembered her dream when she had given birth to a miniature Achilles.

She thought about it, but then banished the thoughts from her mind. There was every chance that the child might end up looking exactly like its father, as she doubted that there had been that many births of part Minotaur, part Centaur, part Human children. So there was no way to determine what the kid was going to look like.

If it did, then that made it even worse, because if it did end up looking just like Achilles, then there would be mistake for anyone to make in guessing whom its father was, and how it was conceived. The poor kid would never be able to have a life, as every time that people looked at it; they'd all go 'There goes the son of that maniac, that rapist, the freak!'

Cassy's thoughts then went onto the memories of her own childhood. She remembered how the other Olympian children had been unkind to her, even though she had just lost her parents, and was a stranger in a strange land that feared and hated her kind. If it hadn't been for Cyc and Cyan's friendship, and Manty's love and support, she didn't know what she would have done. Would her child be lucky enough to have those kinds of people in its life, or would it be cursed to spend life alone, like its father had been?

She shuddered, as she thought of her child growing up in a city like New Olympus. A city that looked as though it symbolized unity, a place where different species all lived and worked together as one people, and yet in reality, it feared anything different, like everyone else.

"And what if it does grow up to be just like its father?" she asked the ceiling. "Even if I keep it, what if I can't love it? What if every time that I look at it, all I can see is Achilles' face? Will I hate it like everyone else? Will it grow up to be as demented as him, because of me?"

Cassy's felt fresh tears well up inside her eyes, but blinked them away. She had cried too much over the past few days, and was so tired of them.

'So what do I do?' she thought absent-mindedly. 'Give it away? And to who? Who, in this city, on this island, would want to raise a baby that was, in their eyes, a deformed freak? And the son of one, to boot, as well as a rapist, psycho and demented fighter and possible killer?'

She thought fiercely. She considered Cyan, but immediately tossed that idea away, as Cyan was the same age as her, and no doubt with plans of her own. The only problem was, she was the only close female friend she had. There was Mantaura, Manty's sister, but she had little experience with children, and she doubted that she would want one full-time.

Cassy then thought about the Gargoyles, and wondered if they would consider taking it in? But then again, offering them a baby would most likely only serve to remind them that they couldn't have any of their own. Plus, there was the new found fact that they couldn't be around during the daytime, so who would be there to look after the baby?

Cassy sighed. Aside from abortion, which she strongly disagreed with, the only alternative was to keep it and raise it herself.

"Except how am I going to do that?" she thought loudly, tears coming again, and this time she didn't bother to hold them back. She imagined herself all alone, years from now, with a baby suffering the same racist abuse that she had undergone, and was powerless to stop it, even more powerless then she is to protect the abuse against herself.

She clutched her stomach tightly; as though it were the only way she could protect her baby from the coming dangers and grief.

Despite her own grief, she couldn't help but wonder what Manty and the others were going to say when she told them the news?

000000000000000000000

**The River Styx; Twenty Minutes Later: **

"It'll only take a few minutes, Cy!" Cyc insisted to his four-legged friend.

"That's what you said twenty minutes ago!" Cyan complained. "We would have been here ages ago, if you hadn't stopped to flirt with that bimbo of a Harpy, on the way here!"

"Celine is not a bimbo!" Cyc retorted. "She said she'd go out with me, didn't she?"

"Case in point," Cyan sneered.

Cyc stuck out his tongue at her and hurried inside, with Cyan close behind him. In truth, Cyan was a little glad that they were coming to The River Styx. Maybe she could get Cyc's cousin, Orin, to tell her what the big secret was, about Cyc's new job that he was doing with him.

The only thing Cyc would give away was a big grin every time he talked about it, which was more than enough to put Cyan on edge.

As they walked into the club, which was now deserted, as it didn't open until nightfall, Cyan heard a slow dance music song being played inside.

'Choosing some music for tonight, I suppose,' she thought, and looked around Cyc's massive form, searching for his cousin. She soon spotted him, as he was kneeling in the centre of the dance floor, bent over with his ass in the air, moving his hips sensually from side to side, slowly rising on his knees. As she watched, she saw him reach for the shorts that he was wearing and seemed to be…

"Orin!" Cyc called, seemingly not bothered by what Orin was doing, as he surely must have seen him do it a thousand times with the girls. Cyc had most likely done the same thing himself as well. The only strange thing was that there were no girls around this time. Cyan guessed they needed time to practice.

Cyan looked about, expecting to see a couple of giggling Harpies, or maybe some hissing Gorgons, seated near somewhere, but she saw no one.

'Odd?' she thought. 'Oh Gods, don't tell me he's showing off to himself again?'

Orin turned and grinned at his younger cousin. "Hey, short man!" he grasped his huge hand thoroughly, shaking it hard. "How you been doing? Ready and all set for the big night? It's just a couple of weeks away, you know? You better get your gear all toned up and ready."

"Boy, cous, you'd better believe it!" Cyc said eagerly. "I'm all buffed up, and ready for some action!"

'Buff? Action?' Cyan wondered confounded.

"Hey, dance girl!" Orin suddenly bellowed, noticing her for the first time.

Cyan's cheeks turned red, and she hissed through her teeth like a gorgon. "Nice to see you, Orin," she lied.

Orin smirked. "Wanna go dancing?" He turned and wiggled his behind at her. Cyan jumped back a few feet.

Cyan groaned. "Never going to live it down, never going to live it down, never… "

"You know, I always knew you had a thing for me, toots." Orin said, as he turned back to her, reaching out attempted to cuff her under the chin. "It was only a matter of time before you cracked."

Cyan's head snapped up and she backed even farther. "A thing???!!!!"

"Sure," Orin swept his hair back, and flexed his biceps. "Who could blame you though? After all, having a girl come after me is no big surprise, but I have to admit… Yours was the most original I ever saw. Never had a girl grasp onto my ass like that before, not to mention hold on for so long. You got a nice grip too, anyone ever tell you that?" He grinned, and then hugged himself. "I can still feel you on me."

Cyan's face dropped and turned white. She pointed an accusing finger at the Cyclops before her. "Well of course you can still feel me; I was stuck to your ass for that long! I'm lucky that my legs weren't ground to stumps with you dragging me around the dance floor like that!"

Orin took Cyan's accusing hand in his own. "I love a girl who has sparks like that. And you hands…so strong…delicate and ladylike, but so strong! You have a Harpy's grip!"

Cyan yanked her hand away. "Ahh!"

"Looks like she cracked," Cyc stated to Orin. For a second the two shared serious glances, but it was only momentary. "Hey, Cyan, can you go hang around outside, for a moment, or two, or three. I've got to talk to Orin."

"What about class?" she exclaimed. "I'm going to be late again because you, and unlike you, I can't exactly flirt my way out of after school with Mrs. Neptune!"

The Cyclops waved her off. Cyan snorted like a horse and angrily trotted out, purposely loud as if the throw the beat of the music off.

"I'm giving you two minutes! After that, I'm outta here so fast that you and your well toned legs can't keep up with me!" she shouted.

Outside the store, Cyan waited, taping her fingers on her arm; occasionally glancing back through the door to see the two Cyclops huddled over, deep in discussion. It was the longest she had seen either keep a serious expression together.

Finally, in about one minute and fifty-two seconds, Cyc exited, Orin trailing behind him. He was about one foot out the door when he turned to Orin.

"Hey cous, do you have my gear?" Cyc asked.

"Of course, I can't let my cousin down for his big night!" Orin answered handing over a gym bag. Cyc was dancing in excitement. Cyan attempted to look into the exchange.

Cyc held the gym bag to his chest, clutching it tightly to his chest. Playfully, he said to the Centauress, "Sorry Cyan, you can't see this just yet."

"It's all secrets and surprises with you two, isn't it? And women, I can't forget those," Cyan chided.

"Oh crap, look at the time! We'll be late for class!"

"Oh, look at you! All ready to rush to class!" Cyan snapped sarcastically. "Waah!"

The wind was taken out of her as Cyc picked up under his arm.

"Thanks, Orin! I'll get my gear in shape tonight!" Cyc said, bowing since his one arm tightly gripped the gym bag and the other carried Cyan, who teetered forward, her face turn bright red.

"You do that! Now you hold onto her as tightly as she held onto me, got that?" Orin said with a hungry grin.

"Got it!" Cyc shouted striding out the door.

"I'm not an 'it'!" Cyan shouted from underneath his arm. "If you kept that in mind, you would have better luck with ladies!"

Out into the street, the Cyclops picked up his pace. Encouraged by the closeness of the hour towards class and perhaps the few females standing near the entrances of store fronts or walking on the street, Cyc sprinted. The gym bag with his gear tightly clutched to his side, Cyan press against his other, to her chagrin, his grip a little looser than that on his bag.

"What's got you in a hurry?"

"I've got to get that chemistry homework done don't I?" Cyc said. "Perhaps I could ask that cute griffin girl if I could copy hers."

Cyan groaned.

000000000000000000000

**Manty's Apartment: **

Manty sighed, as he taped his paw on the chair's arm. He had been staring at the telecom now for a solid 10 minutes, almost like he was attempting to will it to ring.

So far, there hadn't been any new information on Cassy's whereabouts. Despite her call, he couldn't stop worrying about her. This had been the second time she had gone missing, and possibly the third time she might be in trouble. He was only thankful that Achilles was still in the hospital.

"Please, Cassy!" he almost cried to the telecom screen. "Please, why won't you ring?!"

Besides Cassy's previous call, Manty had had several other communications from Taurus, his sister Mantaura, as well as Cassy's friends Cyan and Cyc. They had all been most helpful, and were willing to try and do anything to help, but Manty only wished to be alone. Since none of them could really do anything, Manty just wanted to be left in peace, until one of them found out something, or anything that could help them locate his daughter.

Taurus still hadn't returned his call about the code on Cassy's contact. Taurus had said he would not rest until he had cracked it.

Manty found it odd that with all their advanced science, Taurus hadn't been able to crack one simple code of a single telecom number. Whoever had created it must have had exceptional knowledge of New Olympus's computer systems and such.

Manty wondered if he should contact Boreas, and ask him for help? But after a while, he decided against it. He was sure that Boreas must go through this sort of thing every day, with everyone who lost a child. Why should Cassy be any different?

Besides, Boreas surely must have his hands full with all other kinds of important stuff?

000000000000000000000

**New Olympus Tower: **

Talos remained at his post, as he had done so since his activation over 200 years ago, standing as still as a pole, his sensors sensitive to all that went on around him.

Talos's sensors were also connected to the island's main computer. So everything that happened on the island, Talos was instantly made aware of it.

Suddenly, Talos's primary function was ignited, as his systems alerted him to a possible threat to New Olympus's safety.

New Olympus's computer was programmed to also directly link itself to, what the Humans called, the Internet, without being discovered by the Humans. Through it, the computer and Talos were able to learn everything that went on in the outside world, as nothing went on in the Human world without it being documented somewhere on someone's computer.

But for some reason, there was one piece of information that had somehow escaped Talos's knowledge. His sensors indicated that the Humans had suddenly, at this very moment, launched a new satellite into Earth's orbit.

Talos did a check on his systems, but found nothing to be astray. In the end, he concluded that the Humans must have upgraded their computer's security systems to a point where even he was unable to hack into them. But now that the satellite had been launched, the Humans were being very forthcoming with their data, obviously because they believed they had no reason to hide it anymore.

Within a few seconds, Talos learnt everything he could about the new satellite. He discovered to his horror, if he had such emotions, that the satellite contained new scanning equipment, used to zero in on all types of technology and software in the world, including New Olympus's.

With his primary function, to protect New Olympus and keep its existence secret, ignited, Talos activated his link with the island's cloaking device, and started to make adjustments. Human technology had obviously advanced ever further than they first suspected, when Elisa Maza came to their island.

Talos accessed the environmental systems of the cloaking device, and just in time too. The computer informed him that the satellite had already started to upgrade its current systems, and was beginning to make new scans of the planet, and it was closing in on New Olympus. It was only a matter of time before the scans revealed the location of their home.

Talos quickly adjusted the frequency of the cloak's field, and less than a few seconds later, the scans swept over New Olympus and, thankfully, did not pick up their signal.

Had Talos been a humanoid, he would be sighing with relief, but now there was a new problem to behold. Talos's eyes glowed red for a second, as he accessed his in-built communications device. The gears and chips with in his head rattled and scratched loudly with the force they were working with.

_Boreas?_

A beep signalled that his call had been received. "Yes, Talos?"

I believe we may have a problem… 

000000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos: **

Time goes by rather fast when you are grieving, or lost in thought, even though it feels like it is dragging along slowly. Cassy fell asleep on the couch, her forehead resting on her elbow; her stomach covered with her other arm.

She was woken by the sound of cracking stone, sounding more like the cracking of an eggshell, signalling the sunset like the crow of the rooster signals sunrise. Roars echoed through the mountain lair, silencing the crickets and night animals from the surrounding jungle.

Cassy rolled her shoulders, her one arm numb from the pressure of her head. In the other room she could hear the gargoyles grumble and complain quietly and lowly, a complete divergence from seconds earlier. Vespa ordered Pandora and Icarus to start sweeping up the dust of stone skins. She could hear the mumbles from other gargoyles, as they discussed their duties for the night among themselves. Clawed feet scratched on the ground, as they dispersed throughout the compound.

Sphinx entered the room seconds later. She smiled, as she spotted her charge sitting on the couch.

"It is good to see that you are awake also," Sphinx said with a toothy grin.

Cassy smiled nervously. "I didn't know you turned into stone during the day."

Sphinx sat down on the couch. "Gargoyles require much energy to run our bodies. Simply by entering a state of hibernation every day and absorbing the heat and light from the sun, like some lizards and snakes do, it helps us survive."

Sphinx paused and looked at the ground after she said the word 'survive'. Cassy looked at the ground too. It was an awkward picture indeed, with one female who wanted and needed a child, and could not bear one and this curse forced upon her, and another who could be carrying a child she did not want or need, and had it forced upon her.

"That is an interesting little trick," Cassy stated. No wonder the Gargoyles felt so alienated from the New Olympians, and no wonder the New Olympians were so—weirded out—by the Gargoyles. Spending half your life as stone, how could anyone get used to it, whether they were being it or seeing it?

"Is something bothering you, Cassy? Do you wish to return to your home?"

"No, no, not now. I don't want to go back…for a while," Cassy answered, looking at her knees and feet.

"I understand," Sphinx said considerately. "Stay as long as you wish. You are welcomed here with open wings."

"Thanks, Sphinx, for everything. You do not understand how much I appreciate it here," Cassy said.

"You're one of the clan here," Sphinx said, clasping her shoulder. "You're family."

Cassy blushed. "Thank you."

"Sphinx!" Typhoon bellowed from the doorway. He was pulling on a rope. Then he was jerked back. He appeared again, pulling on the rope tightly. "Do you wish to butcher a bullock for tonight's meal? She had scared away all the animals for the night's hunt. They won't return for weeks."

There was an angry moo, as Typhoon was yanked away again.

"Yes, prepare it for tonight, but don't slaughter it in here," Sphinx stated, as Typhoon walked pass the door, carrying the bullock across his expansive shoulders. "We're not animals, no matter what other people think."

Typhoon grumbled something; maybe it was in agreement, maybe about something else.

"Let's go for a walk," Sphinx offered.

Cassy nodded.

As they walked down the halls of the mountains, Sphinx explained the situation of the Gargoyles to Cassandra.

"We Gargoyles are much more different than most New Olympians, not just by our unusual sleeping habits. You know we are not satisfied with the larder offered by New Olympus, nor the simple pleasure of going out and buying a can of artificially created meat. We enjoy hunting, but hunting is not always prosperous. We do have a back up plan; we have the only stock of animals found on New Olympus. Our animals are well taken care of, machinery keeps them fed and watered during our stone sleep," Sphinx explained.

"Amazing, this is like a city within a city," Cassy said.

"Thank you," Sphinx said. "We had to adopt some of the New Olympians equipment for our survival, and reprogram them for our own personal use; our brains are quite adept at problem solving."

Sphinx tapped on her temple.

"Amazing," Cassy answered. Sphinx smiled.

"Our programming is set up much different from the New Olympians," Sphinx said, obviously proud. "It's easier for us to use since we are not able to be there all the time to run it. We have multiple systems that work much like the clan does, providing support for each other, but also able to work by themselves in case one of the systems breaks down."

"Amazing," Cassy repeated.

Typhoon strolled down the hallway, carrying a cleaned haunch of beef on his shoulder. He snorted, as he spotted Cassandra.

"Preparations for our meal will start soon. And I suppose _that_ will be eating with us again tonight," Typhoon stated dryly.

"Her name is Cassandra. She is a human, not a _that_!" Sphinx responded in an equally dry, and twice as sarcastic, tone to the blue behemoth. Typhoon rolled one eye and huffed down the hallway.

"You will have to excuse Typhoon. He is a fine warrior and hunter, but he is one of the Gargoyles that…how can I say this…that gives the rest of the clan a bad name," Sphinx explained.

"That's okay, I'm used to it by now," Cassy answered.

"Come! I have more to show you!" Sphinx said.

000000000000000000000

Sphinx showed Cassandra many parts of the mountain, and its little society; though she still did not show Cassandra to the nesting chamber. The bare little room was the most fascinating room of the mountain, and Cassy really wanted to see it.

But she respected Sphinx, as Sphinx respected her, and feigned interest (though not amazement) in the many revolutionary techniques the Gargoyles applied to their lives. The inventions of the New Olympians were incredible, but the Gargoyles were downright ingenious in their inventions, or the remake of the New Olympian inventions. Left over fodder, compost, and such was recycled into heat that kept the mountain warm and welcoming, and supplying the gargoyles with excess heat during their stone sleep.

The animal larder of the Gargoyles was kept in well-designed enclosures. Sphinx explained that the animals were trained since birth that the moment they heard a beeping alarm, they were to enter the mountain to feed and rest for the night. Cassy remembered hearing something similar occurring in Japan, where beepers were attached to the collars of dairy cows to call them in for milking.

Sphinx explained many of the inner workings of the mountain until it was time to eat. The bullock was carved and distributed among the Gargoyles. Cassy was startled, as Vespa dropped a two inch thick steak on her plate (along with all the trimmings of fried onions, mushrooms, and oysters). Cassy thought the plate was going to break from the weight of the steak.

"A growing girl must eat!" Vespa stated.

A steak had never smelt so delicious. Cassy's mouth was watering. After subsisting on synthetic meat, tasteless grain meals, and vegetables for several years, Cassy's body was craving for real food, and last night's meal woke up her desires for a good down to earth meal.

Cassy hungrily tore into the steak, even though it was still rare. Cassy was never one for meat that was still pink in the centre, but then again she had never been much of a steak eater, enjoying the occasionally Philly Steak and Cheese. She ate the entire steak, trimmings, and cleaning plate.

"Looks like someone has developed a bit of an appetite," Vespa joked. She had been watching over Cassandra like a hawk… Well, maybe hawk was bit too harsh of a term, maybe a grandmother. "Do you have room for dessert?"

"There's dessert?" Cassandra asked eagerly.

A bowl of shaved ice, bright red in colour, was set before Cassy by Icarus, who was in charge of the Gargoyles' orchard. The ice was flavoured with Pomegranates, and the honey from the bees that fed upon the rich jungle flowers. Nothing could compare to the taste of it.

"Slow down, dearie!" Vespa exclaimed, as Cassy was half way through her bowl. "It's not like you're eating for two people now!"

Suddenly, Cassy's stomach seized, and she doubled over in pain, holding her stomach as it throbbed in agony.

"Cassy, are you okay?" Sphinx asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Cassy said, more assurance to herself than others. Her face felt flushed, burning, her legs like lead.

"You do not look too well," Pandora noticed.

"I just ate too fast that's all…just eaten too fast," Cassy said.

"Well, you looked about half starved earlier. Don't those New Olympians feed you?" Vespa stated, taking her plate. "I'll let you rest. If you need anything, just ask."

Vespa collected a few of the empty plates on the tables and walked towards a heavy wooden door. She opened the door, and dropped the dishes in shock. A bedraggled looking Taurus stood in the hallway.

"I am looking for a Miss Cassandra Williams," Taurus stated officially in his typical manner, holding his head high, though it looked like he had not slept in days. If Taurus looked like this, Cassy could not even imagine how terrible Cyc (though she strongly doubted Cyc would ever let himself go), Cyan or Manty looked.

All the Gargoyles, with the exception of Sphinx and Pandora who sat on either side of Cassy, looked in her direction, pointing her out. Hidden by a curtain of pink wings, Cassy gently pushed Sphinx's wing out of the way. Her face still red, she managed a small smile and a small wave of her fingers to Taurus.

"Hi, Taurus," she said in a very small voice. Taurus let his shoulders drop with a sigh, relieved at the loss of a very heavy burden.

"Miss Williams!" Taurus stated. "You have your family and friends worried sick about you!" 

"I'm…I'm…I'm sorry," Cassy answered, her voice breaking.

Sphinx stood up, offering support for Cassandra. "Chief Taurus, Miss Cassandra Williams was no trouble for our clan. She merely needed to get away for a while. You must sympathize with her on that. She has caused no problems one bit whatsoever."

"I understand, Clan Leader Sphinx. I am grateful, and I assure you that her family and friends are grateful that she is alive, and will be grateful to you and your clan. I as well would like to thank you personally for offering your help on searching for her earlier, but Miss Cassandra Williams must return home," Taurus stated stoically.

Taurus seemed at unease, and Cassy at first thought it was because of the Gargoyles, but she noticed his eyes continually darting to the roasted head of the bullock sitting on the table surrounded by roasted fruits and tubers.

"He's right, Sphinx," Cassandra said softly, sighing in defeat, knowing she had no choice now but to return home. "I have to go home."

She hugged the pink gargoyle. "Thank you. You're my guardian angel."

Sphinx smiled, as she hugged her back. "And you are always welcome in the clan."

"Do you wish to eat with us, Chief Taurus?" Vespa asked.

"No," Taurus answered quickly, and then politely said with a bow, "No, thank you. I ate earlier, but thank you for your offer. My first priority is returning Cassandra to her home."

Vespa gave Cassandra a hug good-bye, plus some extra food. A few other Gargoyles clasp hands with her and patted her back.

"I have to speak a few words with Taurus," Cassy said to Sphinx.

"I understand," Sphinx said with a nod, allowing Taurus and Cassy to be left alone.

Down the hallway, Taurus stated to Cassy, "You gave us all a scare. What made you think that you could run away like that? Did you ever take your family into consideration? Didn't you even think about how worried we would be over you?"

Cassy's face burned red.

"Cassy, I do not know why you continually test our patience with you. You know we will always be there for you. Next time you need someone; don't run out into the jungle. Just speak to us. You have more friends then you think, and you are coming very close to losing some of them if you pull a stunt like this again."

"Taurus…?"

"Hmmm?"

With a cry, she launched herself into his arms, tears pooling from her eyes as she gripped his forearms. His eyes widened as he heard…

"I'm pregnant…" 

**To Be Continued… **


	7. Chapter 7

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**On the Previous Episode:**_

_"What I have seen is fantastic. But there is something else..." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Vespa told me that there wouldn't be anymore children? I don't really understand it."_

_Sphinx' expression became sad, and she had to sit down. "I didn't think she would tell you about it...for nearly 50 years now, no new hatchlings have brought joy to our clan. I have never even seen one, as my generation was the last..." _

_00000000000000000_

_'Boreas?'_

_A beep signalled that his call had been received. "Yes, Talos?" _

_'I believe we may have a problem…'_

_00000000000000_

"_Taurus…?"_

"_Hmmm?"_

_With a cry, she launched herself into his arms, tears pooling from her eyes as she gripped his forearms. His eyes widened as he heard…_

"_I'm pregnant…"_

_**-The Angels of New Olympus, Part III-**_

_And Now, The Continuation: -_

**Mt. Thanatos: **

Taurus had expected many things, except _**this**_... but he saw how much Cassy had paled when she spoke, so obviously she was being deadly serious. And now she was in tears, crying the whole time into his shoulder. He hadn't thought of this possibility, since her rape.

But how was Cassy so sure of it? As far as Manty had told him, she had yet to receive a full medical examination after her ordeal. She had had some minor scans, which had determined the kind of herbs/drugs that Achilles had given her while she had been his prisoner, but nothing more elaborate than that.

With that in mind, it could only mean that either the gargoyles had given her one, which was unlikely, or that she was simply exaggerating, thinking that she was pregnant. Still, the possibility alone was enough to make Taurus think of the worst. The mere idea of Achilles impregnating her was sickening.

Finally, Taurus found his voice. "Are- are you sure of this? Did you take a pregnancy test to confirm it?"

Cassy still sobbed, but understood what Taurus was telling her. "I...I just know it. I can't think of any other... God, what will I do now?!" It was clear that she was so convinced of the idea, that she believed it to be true.

Taurus was not very good at comforting people. The only one who could calm her down was Manty, who nearly always managed to get through to her. But he knew what he first had to say to her. "No…you can't assume the worst, Cassy. Your symptoms might be a result of your ra…your ordeal. It's possible your mind might be causing you to imagine your symptoms. The only way you'll know for sure is if you get medical confirmation of it. Please promise me that you won't do anything rash, until you get tested?"

Cassy nodded, as what Taurus told her made sense, but she still felt totally convinced that Achilles' spawn was within her. She felt mentally exhausted, after finally letting someone in on her secret. "I guess I'll have to go home now and talk to Manty," she said quietly, as she knew Taurus wouldn't leave her here to stay.

'Oh...this will be a problem.' Taurus thought suddenly.

Because of the high altitude of the mountain, Taurus had had to fly up in a different model aircraft. The air-bike he flew up in, the air-bike 3.1, was light and agile, specifically designed for high flying, but unfortunately it was only built for one person, the pilot.

Taurus had been so anxious to get to Cassy that he hadn't considered how he would transport her down. He doubted that in her current state Cassy could avoid falling off his air-bike. And since he couldn't ride it while carrying her, it meant that someone had to help him.

While he was complementing this, Cassy slowly sank to the floor, her knees giving way as she felt one problem leave her, only to be replaced with another load. She had finally managed to break the news to one of her friends, other than Sphinx, but now she had to go through it again with Manty, and the others. She was just so tired, like she had been carrying a heavy load for days.

Taurus saw her sink to the floor and picked her up. Cassy didn't complain, she was limp, not in sickness but in exhaustion and relief. He walked back into the dining hall with her in his arms. Maybe one of the Gargoyles would help him with the travelling problem…hopefully?

The dining room was mostly empty by now, since most of the clan had already gone to do their nightly tasks. However, Sphinx and a few others, including that old Gargoyle, were obviously waiting for them. But when they saw Taurus carrying a rather unwell looking Cassy, they were tempted to demand what had happened to her.

Thankfully, Sphinx remained civil. "Chief Taurus, what happened?"

"I believe she is suffering from some form of mental stress," he replied. "I do not think it is my place to tell you what exactly, but in her current state I fear she will fall off my air-bike. I need someone to carry her back home," Taurus told them, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

Sphinx really wanted to bully Taurus, to find out what was wrong with Cassy, but her training as leader prevented this all too understandable reaction. "I will do it myself, she trusts me." Sphinx felt quite repulsed at the idea of entering the city, but seeing this girl in distress overrode this for now.

Sphinx then looked to Vespa. "Please tell the others that I will be out for roughly an hour."

Taurus then handed Cassy over to Sphinx. "I will show you the way..."

Cassy said nothing, but she was mildly surprised at how easily Sphinx picked her up. Sphinx was only roughly 1.86 meters big, yet it appeared that she was almost as strong as a huge Centaur.

The journey down the mountain remained silent, as they flew down to the tall glass and metal buildings. Taurus was kind enough not to fly right down into the city, in view of everyone, with respect to Sphinx.

Cassy continued to remain silent also while Sphinx followed Taurus to Manty's apartment, until finally Sphinx had had enough of the silence. She whispered, but it came out as hiss, "Child...what happened to you?!"

"We are both cursed... " Cassy said cryptically, not looking Sphinx in the face. "You are cursed to remain childless, and I'm cursed with the bastard, who raped me, child."

Sphinx' eyes widened, as she realized what the Human girl meant, but then she thought..."How can you be so sure? I thought you told me that you were… abused, only a short time ago"

"I... I'm sure it's true... I've been having all the symptoms, but Taurus wants me to get tested first," Cassy stammered, as the topic was making her nervous.

"You mean you _think _you are with child, but _don't_ know if this is really the case?" Sphinx shook her head. "Cassandra, I learned long ago never to assume things. You really should see if it is true first, before you continue to make yourself crazy over it."

Cassy was quite impressed at how calm Sphinx had managed to stay. It must come with her duty as the leader, as she had no other explanation for it. And exactly like Taurus, she wanted her to have medical confirmation first.

"Taurus said so too," Cassy told Sphinx, then stayed silent, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

Sphinx understood, and again concentrated on gliding. Seeing the city becoming larger, she again had to assure herself that it would only be for a short visit, nothing more. Hopefully she wouldn't meet any smart-ass people, who could not resist commenting on her presence.

Taurus meanwhile felt tired. He hadn't slept since Cassy's departure, and he felt like going to sleep in mere seconds. He hid it very well though, always showing the ever-alert Chief Taurus on the outside. But it sure didn't help that Manty was demanding more information over the com-system on his bike.

"Taurus, where was she? Why doesn't she speak to me herself?" Manty asked impatiently. Taurus's call had thrown him into relief that his adoptive daughter was all right, but at the same time he wanted to know where the hell she had been.

Taurus didn't really feel like chatting, so he tried to cut it short. "Someone else is carrying her back, and as for where she was. I found her at Mt. Thanatos."

"Mt. Thanatos? What the abyss was she doing there? Did the Gargoyles want anything from her?" Manty asked.

Taurus clearly heard the suspicion in Manty's voice. Despite the fact that he had probably never even met a gargoyle in his entire life, he sounded suspicious. It was just the usual mistrust towards a group, which willingly isolated itself from society, nothing more.

"Manty, I think she will be more than willing to answer these questions herself. Just wait some minutes, then you can ask her." Taurus ended the com-signal before Manty could say anything further

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**Some Minutes Later; Manty's Apartment: **

Manty was walking in a circle while he waited for the return of his daughter. He was quite worried as to why Taurus had found her with the Gargoyles of Mt. Thanatos.

The Gargoyles were quite secretive, as very few Olympians had ever met one of them before, and he was not one of them. Occasionally some could be glimpsed flitting from rooftop to rooftop, but Manty was not even fortunate enough to see that. Though all Olympians had been taught that Gargoyles were an extremely noble race, like they had told Goliath when he came to the isle, they couldn't understand why they chose to remain living in isolation on the mountain with so few resources at their disposal? Not when they could be living with the rest of New Olympus, with all the comforts they could ask for. It was a great mystery for many of the New Olympians. Sometimes the New Olympians were just as stubborn as the Gargoyles.

But Manty did not care for this debate at the moment. He was more concerned about the reason why his daughter was at their lair in the first place.

Finally, he saw Taurus arriving, with a Gargoyle behind him who was carrying her.

Manty barely waited until Cassy stood on her own two feet, before embracing her in a near crushing hug, the fur providing no cushioning. While he was somewhat disappointed in her running away, he was more relieved to have her back in one piece.

"Cassy!" he cried. "Thank the Gods you're safe!" he checked her over, ensuring that she was in good health. "What in Tartarus did you think you were doing?! Going off like that, scaring the hell out us!"

Cassy looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Manty?" Taurus began cautiously, then he stepped over to the side, making room for someone who was in the doorway. "This is Sphinx, leader of the Gargoyles on MT. Thanatos."

Manty was more worried about Cassy than being polite, but he gave the Gargoyle leader a small bow of respect with his head. "Thank you for looking after my daughter. She seems to be in good health, but… Why didn't you have her contact me straight away, and let me know where she was? And what was she doing at your place anyway?!"

Sphinx regarded the Manticore coolly. "It was not my decision to make, regarding why she didn't tell you where she was. Cassy herself said she didn't want anyone to find her, not just at that moment. As for why she was with us, we found her on our mountain. When we questioned her, she fainted. I'm guessing she'd never seen a Gargoyle before? Anyway, we brought her back to our home and by the time she awakened, it was daytime and we were asleep. When we awoke the next night, she asked us if she could stay."

Manty looked at Cassy for confirmation, but all he got was a depressed sad-filled face.

"Cassy?" he said soothingly. "I'm sorry if I was hard on you, but… I was just so worried that… "

"Manty?" Taurus began again. "I think there's something you and I need to talk about." He indicated for his friend to follow him into the next room. Manty squeezed his daughter affectionately, one final time, and then followed the security chief into the room.

Sphinx walked over to her Human friend, placing a friendly talon on her shoulder. "It will be all right, Cassy," she said assuredly. "Your father seems like a caring Manticore. I'm sure he will understand all you've been through."

"Nobody knows what I've been through," Cassy whispered softly.

Sphinx nodded. "Possibly," she agreed. "But I'm sure he will understand your pain, and will do all he can to help you."

"SHE'S WHAT???!!" Manty's loud roaring voice came from the next room.

Sphinx raised her eye-ridges. "Or at the very least," she said, "he'll see to it that the beast who did this to you, will never again sire anymore children."

Cassy laughed quietly. Manty always had a bi of a temper when it came to protecting her.

Sphinx eyed her worryingly. "I have to go now, Cassy," she said somewhat regretfully. "I have to return to the clan, but… Call me if you ever need anything, okay? Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Cassy nodded, and gave her friend one final hug before they parted company.

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**Same Time; The Office of Boreas:**

"So this is the situation," Talos said to the people in the room, concluding his report. "It is now your place to decide what to do. If you will excuse me now." Talos then left the room.

Boreas leaned back behind his desk. What with all the other problems he had already got, this crisis was the last thing he needed. Looking across his desk, he tried to gauge the reaction of the other two occupants of the room.

One of them was a rather weak looking Harpy man named Xylon, who was responsible for the information policy. And there was Echidna, whose responsibility was inner matters of New Olympus. Both of them had been quite annoyed to be woken up at such a late hour, but now understood the seriousness of the matter.

It had been three hours since Talos had detected the human satellite and barely managed to adjust the cloak, which surrounded the island. And they all knew what it meant. Human technology was making frighteningly fast progress, and now it was only a matter of time before they would detect the island.

That was why Boreas had called these two. Besides him, they were two of the three most important Olympians in the government. The other one was the Chief of Security, Taurus, whom he had tried to contact, but for some reason he was nowhere to be found at the moment, so it was only the three of them, and they had to decide what to do _now_.

"I think you agree that we should keep this under the wraps for now. The last thing we want is a panic," Xylon finally said. "Nothing of this should leave certain circles."

"Just for once, I agree with you," Echidna said. On many levels, she was opposed to Xylon, who she despised as a weakling.

Xylon nodded. "The bigger question however, is how to deal with this? I hate to say this, but all the information we have makes it clear that we won't stand a chance in a conflict."

Echidna only snorted. "Ha, how do you come to this conclusion? We are still far more advanced than they are."

Xylon hissed under his breath. He was always annoyed with people who had no idea of facts. He had little tolerance for idiots.

Annoyed, he answered her, "Echidna, we might have the superior technology, but I doubt that even we can hold off against millions of soldiers, big navies and huge air-fleets. And I don't even want to think about their weapons of mass-destruction, which can blow away the whole island... I hate to say it, but if it does come to war, then this is a war we have no chance to win."

"But then what should we do instead?" Boreas asked calmly. "We can't hide much longer. That much I do know. But it has also come to my attention about some of the opinions in the population. And believe me, the sheer arrogance that many of them have against the outside world, will cause them to walk to their deaths. Most of them think that Humans will willingly bow to them..."

"And what is so bad with that?" Echidna asked.

"Your stupidity is really starting to annoy me. How do you think the Humans will react to that kind of attitude?!" Xylon growled.

Before they could start making the confrontation physical, Boreas' loud voice called out to them. "Silence! I won't tolerate you fighting in here!" He waited some seconds, before he continued. "This matter is too important to let it become ammunition in your bickering. So what do you both suggest we should do, for now?"

Xylon and Echidna looked at each other, both at a loss for words. The fact was, neither of them had any clue of what to do. This was bigger than anything either of them had ever faced before, and it would take much more than the three of them to decide what course of action to take. And they were running out of time.

"On second thought," Xylon finally said. "Perhaps keeping it under wrap isn't the best solution after all? Something this huge shouldn't be kept hidden from the people, as it concerns all of us… I think it would be best to call in the great gathering. The decision should be made by all species that live on New Olympus." Xylon then looked to Echidna. "Do you have a problem with this?"

"No, no problem." she answered, this time staying calm. "It'll be a long time since the last gathering was held, but it shouldn't be difficult to get the word around,"

"Good, but it needs to be held at night, since I also want the clan of Mt. Thanatos to attend," Boreas then added.

"What use do we have for those isolationists? They don't care about us," Echidna snorted.

"After what happened, no wonder," Boreas simply said, remembering very well the incident ten years ago. "But it is their concern too, so they will attend. And just to make it absolutely clear, it is ALL species, meaning that Miss Cassandra, as the only human on this island, will also be attending. And I won't tolerate any protest!"

Echidna grinded her teeth together, but otherwise said nothing.

"One more thing," Boreas continued. "As you know, Taurus should have been in on this discussion, as he is responsible for New Olympus's security. But for some reason he was neither available at work nor home, and he's not answering his calls. Because of this, I request that both of you keep this matter… under wrap, as you would say, Xylon. As chief of security, Taurus's opinion is invaluable, and it wouldn't be right or wise to exclude him, just because he was unavailable at the time. I will talk with him tomorrow, as soon as possible. Once I've gone over everything with him, we will make arrangements for the gathering, as planned. Agreed?"

Xylon and Echidna nodded their heads in agreement, but deep down they were confused, as it was unlike Taurus not to be at his com, and even more unusual for him to be absent from work. He had never taken a day off work in his entire life.

"I will also speak with the Gargoyles on Mt. Thanatos," Boreas concluded. "Since it is not easy to raise communication with them, it might take some time. So I will contact them immediately, and ask them to prepare for the gathering. I won't mention anything of the reason behind the gathering, just that it would be in their best interest, and that of everyone else, for them to attend."

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**Taurus' Apartment: **

Taurus was damn tired. He had left as soon as Cassy had been taken home, and he had talked to Manty, just to have a meeting with his bed, to catch up with his sleep. It was late (Boreas hopefully wouldn't mind him taking one day off work).

Walking up the stairs, he opened his apartment door, only to be greeted by the sight of his neighbour Calypso feeding his pet fish. He had no idea why she would do this at nighttime, but he also didn't care.

Just then she noticed him. "Oh hello, Chief Taurus!" she said chirpily. "Work must have been quite hard for you, what with being away from home for two days. How do you feel?"

Taurus was tempted to simply walk to his bedroom, but did not dare to do so. He remembered all the manner lectures his mother had given him in his childhood, and the occasional spanking when his behaviour was horrible. Female Minotaurs, may not look very strong, but his backside had had a hard experience with his mother's hand.

"Tired... I managed to find my friend, and she is safe now. But I've only lived on energy drinks for the past couple of days, and I feel like falling asleep on the spot," Taurus told her truthfully.

"Oh, you mean the Human girl? I heard a lot of things about her, but never met her. Maybe you can introduce me to her. But I think I better let you sleep, goodnight!" Calypso blew him a kiss, and then left Taurus alone.

Taurus tried hard not to let the blood shoot up into his face. This gesture of hers wasn't the first time that she had given him hints on how she saw him. But this was, up to now, the most obvious one.

Taurus told himself that he would stay single for the rest of his life, as he walked to bed. But deep down, he didn't quite believe this, and more so… because he didn't want to believe it.

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**Mt. Thanatos: **

Sphinx was still thinking of how she had said goodbye to Cassy. She gave her the clan's number, with which she could reach the clan's communicator, and she even promised that she would try to visit her if possible.

As she returned home, she couldn't help thinking of the child's possible fate. The clan had never had to deal with children from rape victims, mostly because Gargoyles were really strong, and their breeding circle was very different than that of any other species. Breeding was a time of passion, love, comfort, their affections focused on the one they want to be with and shares the above feelings, not some random stranger. But the idea alone that this monster could have impregnated Cassy, was enough to make her throw up.

It was so wrong, so sick, so...she could not find the words for it. She could only imagine what it was doing to the poor girl? Having a baby was supposed to be a wonderful and truly memorable thing, but that beast's violation of Cassy had ruined it for her.

And it was quite an irony. While they were on no speaking terms with the New Olympians, they had indeed befriended a Human. The world was really strange.

But then she thought of children, and held a hand on her belly. It was a gift, which would be denied to her, unless they could leave the island. But that was impossible. The strict isolation policy made the island like a prison, and for the clan it was a death camp.

"Leader? We have received a message from the office of Boreas. Seems to be quite important that they even bother to remember us," Typhoon said, walking into the room, a piece of paper in his hand.

Glad to be out of these thoughts, she took the paper and read it.

"Hmmm, seems Boreas wishes to speak with me," she said out-loud. "With all of us apparently? I'll try his office now; see if he's still there." She got up and made her way over to the communications monitor. "Gather the clan together in the dining room," she ordered Typhoon. "Once I've spoken with Boreas, I'll relay everything he says both to you and everyone else."

Typhoon nodded, and left to gather the clan.

_...Ten Minutes Later..._

"I wonder what could be so important?" a middle-aged male asked his mate. The whole clan had been gathered at the big table of the dining room, and word got around that something important had to be discussed.

Finally, Sphinx entered the room and asked for silence.

"Good," she said loudly, so that everyone in the room could hear her. "Now that we are all here, I can say what is going on… " She took a deep breath. "As most of you know, some time ago I received a text communication from the office of Boreas, requesting a word with us. I have just spoken with Boreas. He says that there is to be a great gathering, held sometime around next week at the senate hall. Everyone of New Olympus is to attend this gathering. He wouldn't say what the gathering is about, just that the matter is of the up most importance, and it would be in everyone's best interest not to miss it."

After taking a few moments to catch her breath, and note everyone's reaction, she then asked. "So what do you think of it?"

"A gathering? Been a while since they've had one of those." a female threw in.

"And they actually ASK us. How nice..." a male said, very close to sarcasm.

Then finally it broke down into a mess of voices, until Sphinx had had enough and banged on the table. "SILENCE!"

All went silent. Not one of the clan dared to breathe. Sphinx's temper was noted to be quite the hell-raiser.

"Good..." Sphinx continued. "Now, I know we don't want to have any dealings with these people, but this seems really important." She sighed. "So it looks like I have no choice, but to attend. Since everyone is invited, you're all welcome to come with me. Anyone want to?"

At first no one said a word, but then Sphinx saw Icarus raising his hand. "I will do it. I'm as un-eager to go into that city as everyone else here, but I can't let you go alone."

Sphinx barely hid a smile, as Icarus mainly wanted to show his clan that despite the fact that he had remained mateless, he was still a 'real' Gargoyle, with no fear.

"Very well, Icarus." She said. "You may come."

'I just hope this will be worth the bother...' Sphinx added in thoughts, hoping that it wouldn't be a waste of time.

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**Taurus' Apartment; Early Morning:**

_Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Taurus at first did not hear it, and then he tried to ignore it, but the constant beeping finally got on his nerves. He was still tired as hell, and even a night of sleep had not changed that, and the beeping was not his alarmclock. It was the telecom.

'Regardless who this is, I'm in no mood for anyone right now...' Taurus cursed, while slowly getting to his feet. Being called at 8:00 in the morning was normally no problem for him, but not today.

Walking over to to the screen, he hit the activation button. "Whatdayawant!?" he growled, his tiredness and the fact that he was rudely awakened not conributing to him being nice at the moment.

"Chief Taurus, is this how you speak to your superiors?"

Taurus froze when he heared the voice of Boreas, and his picture appearing on the screen. At once he straightened up. "S...sorry, Sir! It is just, I'm tired, and your call woke me up..."

Boreas now noticed that Taurus looked rather worse for the wear. He should have expected this, what with Taurus not answering all his calls. "There is some matter I have to talk about with you. However, you won't be of any use like this. Come to my office this afternoon at 15:00. Hopefully you'll be more awake by then..."

The screen then went black. 'So much for a day off...' Taurus sighed inwards.

Walking back to his bed, he wanted to get some more sleep, but this time he set his alarm-clock to 13:00. Because he didn't want to risk himself simply oversleeping the appointment. Also, this would give him enough time to visit the city baths first. He was by now smelling like hell, and the chief of security shouldn't meet his superior while stinking like a wet dog.

'What can be so important that he calls me personally?' Taurus wondered, while already again drifting off into sleep.

As he thought of this, his thoughts kept going back to Cassy and her dilema. He had tried to assure her that her symptoms were no doubt brought on by her trauma, but even he couldn't be sure. What if she really was pregnant?

Taurus relaxed himself into his bed, his arms lying across his broad chest. He wondered how she would cope being a single mom on New Olympus? Could she do it alone?

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**Manty's Apartment; A Few Hours Later: **

Manty had to go back to the surgery because of an emergency, leaving Cassy alone with her thoughts. Before leaving though, Manty had taken some samples from her, and told her he would send them off to be tested right away. However, he told her that they probably wouldn't get the test results back for another day or two yet, so for now all she could do was wait.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, waking her up.

As she approached the front door to answer, she could hear something shuffling on the other side. It sounded like an elephant was tromping through the corridor outside.

She opened the door with the touch of a button, and came face to face with a large green foot.

"Oh hey, Cy…" she was going to say Cyc, but stopped when she looked up, and up… and up at the enormous Cyclops. Cassy knew instantly that it wasn't her friend. Cyc was big to be true, but not even he was this big, reason being that he was not fully grown yet.

A quick look to the smug face, looking down on her, proved this.

"Oh hello, Orin?" she greeted Cyc's cousin, surprised, as Orin had never come to visit her at her home before.

"Hey, beautiful?!" Orin boomed down at her, deafening her slightly. Because of their huge size, Cyclops had a tendency to shout a lot, mainly because they thought people couldn't hear them from way down below. "Mind if I come in?!"

Cassy cringed a bit, as she rubbed her ear. "Yeah, sure, please do." She took a few long steps to the side, allowing Orin just enough room to step inside, without stepping on her.

As he stepped by her, she noticed that his skin was unusually shiny, almost like it had been polished.

"Hope you don't mind me coming in on you like this?!" he asked her. "But I wanted to ask you something very special today!"

"Umm, okay," Cassy pointed to the living room. She didn't know where he was going to sit, as they had no Cyclops-sized furniture in the apartment.

Orin didn't seem to care, as he sat down right in the middle of the room. He shuffled around a bit, as he got comfortable, before settling down with his legs spread apart. Cassy couldn't help, but notice his masculinity, and blushed.

"Sooo… what was it you wanted to ask me?" she asked finally.

"Err, yeah," Orin moved his arms about, like he had just finished exercising. He flexed his muscles, and seemed to be showing off every part of his muscular body more so than usual, from his bulging muscles, to even his toes as he wiggled them at her.

Most people would have gaped at this, or at least gasped, but Cassy was more than used to this, as she had had seen Cyc pull the same stunt countless times. Since Cyc had apparently learnt everything he knew from this guy, she could only assume that Orin was doing what Cyc would be doing… He was either planning something, or he was after something.

"Yeah, I… I heard about your… predicament," Orin said, not even stopping, and pointed to her belly.

Cassy lost her smile. "How did you find out about it?!"

Orin shrugged. "Me, Cyc and Cyan were in the street when Manty bumped into us… Well, actually he bumped into my foot… and then he filled us in on what's been going on."

Cassy's face burned. "How did Cyc and Cyan take it?"

Orin shrugged again. "Cyan wanted to come over here right away, to offer you support, I guess. But Manty told her that you had had a long night, and needed sleep. So we agreed to wait another day, until you rested properly."

"So why are you here then?" she asked him.

Orin's smile came back. "I told you, to ask you an important question. For starters, I'd like to say how sorry I am about… Well, about all of this." He pointed to her belly again.

"Yeah, well," she sighed. "There's really not a lot I can do about it now, is there?"

"Well, actually there is." Orin's enormous smirk came back.

Cassy gave him a hard look. "I'm not going to have an abortion, give it away, or anything like that, Orin. So if that's why you came… "

"Oh no!" Orin waved his hands at her. "On the contrary. I heard you were planning on keeping the little fellow. But… have you thought about how hard it's going to be? I mean, as well as raising a kid like the one you're having, in a city like this… You're going to have to buy all the baby clothes, toys, cribs, and other stuff. Then you're gonna have to get a job."

"I know!" Cassy snapped, as she had thought about this already. She knew he was right, but she still hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Even if she finished school, what New Olympians would want to hire a Human?

"Well, I've been thinking about it," Orin said suavely, as he lifted his leg and scratched it. "And I've come up with the perfect solution for your problem."

"I'm not getting a job at The River Styx if that's your plan?" Cassy said adamantly.

"No, nothing like that!" Orin said laughing. "The solution you need is, simply, you need a man!"

Cassy blinked at him. "I think I'm past that, don't you think?"

"I mean you need a man to take care of you," Orin explained. "Someone to provide for you, be a husband and a father to your kid."

Cassy scoffed. "Yeah, swell idea, but who would want to marry a…" she trailed off, as it finally hit her what exactly his big question was. "Oh… "

Orin grinned. "Yeah, just think about it, Cass. I know I'm a little older than you, but I got a steady job, my own place, I'm great with kids, and they love me, and… As a special bonus, you'll be married to the biggest hunk on the entire island! What do you say?" He continued flexing even more. "Wanna be Mrs. Orineaus?!"

There was no answer, just a sound akin to steam escaping from a teakettle. Cassy appeared to be shrinking in her seat as Orin's bicep grew, or at least it appeared that way, and she stared at the reflection of herself on his oily skin. Most men get dressed up (nice clothes, aftershave… etc) when they propose. Only Orin, a relative of Cyc (not to mention him), would be the ones to dress down and get oiled up.

Suddenly, the door chime sounded again. Cassy was never more thankful to hear that bell. Perhaps it was Cyan? Out of all the young girls on New Olympus, Orin was the fondest of Cyan.

"Could you excuse me for a sec?!" Cassy said hurriedly, and rushed to answer the door. Orin still flexed his bicep and gave it a small kiss, raising his eyebrow at Cassy.

Cassy flung the door open, panting from her rush and embarrassment. "Oh thank God you're…"

Cassy's voice dropped and so did her face.

"Thank God you're right I'm here," Cyc said, as he strutted in. Cassy's nostrils were assaulted by Cyc's musky cologne. Even his cologne had to be brash.

"Out of all the people on New Olympus, it had to be you." Cassy said dryly, as she slammed the door.

There was a startled shout, as Cyc entered the room that his cousin was reclining in, while waiting for Cassy's response. There was a startled shout from Orin, as the buff Cyc entered the room, not the fair Cassy.

"Orin, what are you doing here?" Cyc asked.

"I came here to offer my support for Cassy over here," Orin said, as he stood up and strolled across the room, and engulfed Cassy's shoulder under his one finger. Cassy's knees shook, trying to support the weight of his hand.

Cyc's face flushed a deep green. "Orin, I need to speak to you…in private. Cassy, do you mind?"

Cyc turned to face Cassy whose face was turning a bright shade of red. Cassy was more than happy to oblige Cyc, and bolted away into the kitchen.

"Orin?" Cyc hissed, pulling his cousin down by his well-groomed hair. "What exactly are you thinking?"

"I'm helping a lady in need. She needs a big strong man to help her out," Orin responded both proudly and embarrassingly, after being caught by his cousin. "Having a baby is way too big a responsibility for just one person, especially a young girl. I've got a steady job, years of experience, not to mention a hot bod. So I decided to help her out… What are you doing here?"

"Same thing you are!" Cyc stated. "Orin, I think you should back down."

"What?" Orin asked, amazed at the seriousness in Cyc's voice.

"It's my turn to be the man here, to truly step up to my manly duties. After all these years of just strutting around, it's time to strut no more," Cyc stated patriotically. "Cassy's been my friend for years, and I'm not gonna stand about while she's forced to raise a kid by herself."

Orin was quiet for a moment. "You're serious about this, aren't you, Cyc?"

"Yes I am," Cyc said.

"Well," Orin began cautiously. "She is a little too young for me. And you've certainly known her a lot longer… All right then, it's your choice. Treat her well," Orin said, and then patted his cousin's shoulder.

"CASSY!" Cyc shouted, and Cassy came into the room, a glass of water in her one hand.

He got down on one knee in front of her, taking her hand, complete with the glass, in his hand.

"Cassandra Williams, I would be honoured to be your husband."

Cassy dropped the glass she was holding right into Cyc's hand, its water forming a small pool in his palm.

"Pardon me?!" she squealed slightly. She could have sworn that it was Orin who had just asked her that question a few moments ago.

Cyc's grinned enlarged. "Yeah, I know. Orin just told me what he was planning, but… We both feel that you would be better off with me."

"Excuse me???!" Cassy was beginning to feel more insulted than surprised. What was she, somebody's dog that needed a home, a prize?!

"Yeah, Cass," Orin chipped in, as he knelt down to her level. "I was all for settling down with you, helping you raise your little one, but… Well, let's face it. I am a bit old for you, and Cyc's nearer your own age. Plus, Cyc was willing to take me on for you, and… " Orin flexed his muscles again. "Well, let's just say that when it comes to girls, Cyc never has much luck when he's competing against me."

Cyc sneered at his cousin. "You wish!"

"Only speaking the truth, cous."

Cassy would have normally been amused by this bigotry, but for now she had other problems. "Cyc, Orin," she began, "I am flattered… "

"Course you are!" Orin laughed. "Who wouldn't be?! Even if Cyc is only second best, he's still the second biggest hunk on the island!"

Cassy gave a small nervous laugh, and was about to finish what she started to say, but then…

"Cassy?" Cyc said, and for once his voice held none of his usual sarcasm, flirt, vanity, or anything that described him as Cyc to her. "Cassy, I know you and I have never been anything more than just… friends, but I… I do really care for you. I always have and I always will. And we all know that if you have this baby, life is just going to get a thousand times worse for you. And I'm not saying this because I think you're weak or anything. Far from it, as I think you're the strongest person I've ever met, but… No one could deal with what you're about to undertake."

Cassy paused, as she listened to her life-long friend. She hated thinking it, but deep down she knew he was right. This baby was going to be a burden that many people wouldn't be able to handle. It wasn't just the fact of raising it, but the fact that it was going to be the son if a mad Minotaur, something that no one could deny if it resembled anything like its father. And even if she finished school, got a good education and such… What Olympian would willingly hire a Human? She'd be lucky to get a job as a dishwasher. Chances are that she and her baby would most likely starve, unless Manty continued to support them, but what kind of a life would that be for her if she had to depend on Manty for the rest of her life?

Cyc placed his entire hand around Cassy, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "I know I probably don't come across as the perfect husband type. But I promise you that I'll love you, support you, be a father to your baby, and give you anything your heart desires… including that, which requires the use of a bed-chamber." He wiggled his eye-ridge at her, inciting a groan from Cassy, but she was nonetheless still listening.

Cassy couldn't help, but consider his proposal. It was true that having this baby was going to be next to impossible, but… Could she seriously marry Cyc, of all people?

"I-I-I… I think I'll have to think about it," she finally stuttered out.

"Woo-Hoy!" Orin slapped his cousin affectionately on the back. "Hear that! She's halfway there!"

"Wait a minute, I said I… " She didn't get to finish, as Cyc bent his head down and almost took away half her face, as his huge lips engulfed her, nearly sucking her flesh off, as he kissed her.

"I know, I know," Cyc said, as he got up. "You need some time to think about it. Sure, I'll give you… till tomorrow, okay? See you there then! Bye-bye!"

He and Orin wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and planning to go out and do some celebrating. But not before Orin turned his head once more and said…

"Oh, but one thing," he grinned. "I get to have the first dance with the blushing bride."

Cyc laughed. "Sure thing, cous. I'll have the rest of my life to dance with her."

"Yeah, I don't think Cassy has even tried the new dance that Cyan made, has she?" Orin laughed loudly, and wiggled his backside at her, saying goodbye as the two of them left through the door.

Cassy stood where she was, watching the empty doorway where apparently her fiancé, and future cousin-in-law, had just left.

"I think… " she slowly said. "I need to lie down." She started to make her way over to her bed-quarters but, almost as though it knew she was leaving, the telecom sounded, indicating a call.

"Oh for…!" she snarled inwardly, and slammed her hand down on the receiver button. "WHAT?!" she angrily shouted.

Taurus's surprised face filled the screen.

"Taurus?" Cassy said surprised. As infuriated as she was, she could never bring herself to be rude to New Olympus's Chief of Security, one of the few Olympians who treated her respectfully. Not to mention one whom she had once had a crush on.

"_Cassy, I apologize for disturbing you,"_ Taurus said. "_Are you… well?"_

The "well" was sputtered out

"Yeah, fine," Cassy said tiredly. She normally didn't mind speaking to Taurus, but for now she really needed to get some rest. "Is there something you need?"

"_No,"_ he started. "_I just wanted to check how you were, and… "_He muttered something under his breath.

"Pardon?"

Taurus sighed. "_I wanted to ask you if you were free for lunch tomorrow?" _

Cassy blinked. "Ummm, yeah sure. I believe I am. But… why do you want to know?"

Taurus rubbed his horns, a clear sign that he seemed to be nervous. "_I actually have something I want to discuss with you, Cassy. Something important."_

Cassy paused, suddenly stiffening up. "What sort of… something?" she asked cautiously.

Taurus immediately tensed up. "_Something that can't be explained over the telecom. I have booked a table for two tomorrow at the Unicorn's Diner. Are you coming or not?" _

Cassy sighed. 'Taurus must really be nervous,' she thought. 'He never gets this cranky unless something is up.'

"Okay, fine," she said. "What time?"

"_1200pm, okay?" _

"Perfect," she smiled. "Thanks for the invitation."

"_You're welcome, and… "_ He paused briefly and then said in a hushed tone. "_Sweet dreams." _And disconnected the telecom before she could answer.

'Gee, now I wonder what _his_ special question could be?' she thought sarcastically. She didn't think it would be possible. She, the most isolated female on the island, was getting proposals from three males.

"Oh, wait a minute," she suddenly said, annoyed. "This is Taurus we're talking about. He's not the marrying kind. In fact, he doesn't seem like the dating or anything kind, as he's never away from his job."

Still, he had seemed rather nervous about asking her to lunch. Cassy considered the possibility, but in the end she shook it off, and walked to her room. She already had one proposal to consider, she didn't need to think of two.

There was another chime at the door, and Cassy considered throwing the damn chimer away. She stomped over to the door, and opened it.

"Nessus?!" she exclaimed in shock, as her former boyfriend stood before her.

"Hi, Cassy," Nessus looked uneasily at her. He hadn't spoken with her since he had helped bring her safely home. "I'm sorry to intrude, but… I heard about your predicament and I… "

"I CAN RAISE IT ON MY OWN!!!" Cassy suddenly screamed out, and closed the door instantly.

Nessus stood staring at the door for a short while before saying to himself, "I just wanted to offer my condolences".

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Cassy lay in her bed, her thoughts all jumbled.

What was she going to do? Cyc had proposed to her, and now seemed intent on following it through. Indeed, he believed them to be practically walking up to the altar right now.

Cassy had never imagined Cyc as a husband to her. True, she had at one time or another, perhaps considered him for a boyfriend. Like all the girls, she had noticed what a fine body he had, and he had always been able to make her laugh and forget her troubles. But… she had only been 12 years old at the time, and now the thought of them being married, of her calling him things like 'honey' and 'dearest' sounded positively ridiculous to her. Cyc was a close and dear friend, but nothing more.

Still, he had been right about the baby and all the problems she was about to face. There might still be Taurus's proposal to consider, but that didn't seem fair to Cyc, like she was leading him on.

True, she didn't feel of him as the way that a future-wife should feel, but… She did care for him a great deal, so that was a good start. And he had been the first to offer her his support, and she didn't doubt that he would remain true to his word and look after her and her baby, but… What kind of a life would they have together?

She had once asked Manty how he had known how he, and his now late wife, had had a future together? He had told her that he had thought about what life might be like, both with and without her, and in the end he decided that life without her… wouldn't be worth living, to him.

Cassy laid her head back on the soft pillows, her eyes getting heavy.

She had a fairly good idea what life without Cyc might be like. She'd be most likely stuck with a baby to raise single-handedly, in a city that held no love or respect for her or her offspring. Either that or she'd be doomed to spend the rest of her life completely dependent on Manty's support, with no chance of a life of her own

'So… what about if she was married to Cyc?' Cassy thought about married life with her life-long friend. She thought about what kind of a dad he'd be to her child. Although she didn't believe for a second that he'd make a bad dad, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of a role model he'd be, since kids usually modelled after their parents? And more importantly, what kind of a husband would he be like to her?

If anything, she didn't believe that their lives together would be boring at least.

All these thoughts and questions kept floating in and out of her head, as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

To Be Continued… 


	8. Chapter 8

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34. 

**Previously: **

"_CASSY!" Cyc shouted, and Cassy came into the room, a glass of water in her one hand. _

_He got down on one knee in front of her, taking her hand, complete with the glass, in his hand. _

"_Cassandra Williams, I would be honored to be your husband." _

_0000000000000000000_

"_I-I-I… I think I'll have to think about it," she finally stuttered out. _

"_Woo-Hoy!" Orin slapped his cousin affectionately on the back. "Hear that! She's halfway there!" _

"_Wait a minute, I said I… " She didn't get to finish, as Cyc bent his head down and almost took away half her face, as his huge lips engulfed her, nearly sucking her flesh off, as he kissed her. _

"_I know, I know," Cyc said, as he got up. "You need some time to think about it. Sure, I'll give you… till tomorrow, okay? See you there then! Bye-bye!"_

_0000000000000000000_

'_So… what about if she was married to Cyc?' Cassy thought about married life with her life-long friend. She thought about what kind of a dad he'd be to her child. Although she didn't believe for a second that he'd make a bad dad, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of a role model he'd be, since kids usually modeled after their parents? And more importantly, what kind of a husband would he be like to her? _

_If anything, she didn't believe that their lives together would be boring at least. _

_All these thoughts and questions kept floating in and out of her head, as she slowly drifted off to sleep. _

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**And Now, The Continuation:**

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6 Years Later; New Olympus: 

The morning sunlight poured in from the window beside the bed, a massive bed equivalent to that of royalty. Cassy rolled over, feeling the warmth of the Mediterranean sun on her skin. Sea Gulls squawked and flew out to sea to catch the day's meal for their hatchlings. She smiled, as the birds disappeared into the distance.

A groan from behind distracted her, and she turned to watch a green back suddenly descend down on top of her.

"AHH!" she squealed, the wind taken out of her, as Cyc's massive back flattened her into the mattress.

Cyc grumbled something, scratching at his abs and the sleepiness from his eye. Cassy kicked from under him. With her only free limb, she banged on the mattress

Cyc rolled off her, and smiled at her bedraggled form, seemingly unaware of Cassy's distress. "Morning! And how is my little woman this morning?!"

Before Cassy could answer, Cyc kissed her on her lips… or at least tried to, as his lips covered most of her face. He washed her face in his morning breath, and then crawled out of bed, doing a jig.

"Who needs the sun when you've got…" he shook his hips, "…buns!"

Cyc, now fully grown, was like most of the rest of the Cyclops on the island… very tall, close to 20 feet, and built almost entirely out of muscle, just like his cousin. His hair had grown a little long, but was usually combed back in an orderly fashion. He had something of a little beard growing around his mouth, but it was barely noticeable for the moment.

As Cyc strutted off, he called, "I would like eggs and toast for breakfast, honey!"

"Eggs?" Cassy asked. "What kind?"

"Two dozen, in an omelette please, and plenty of healthy filling this time!" Cyc shouted out the bathroom. "I've got to get ready for work."

Cassy dragged her battered body out of bed, and forced herself down the steps and into the kitchen.

Down in the kitchen, Cassy moved a package of massive eggs, twice the size of chicken eggs. She spent five minutes digging through the cupboard trying to find a bowl that was the appropriate size to whisk the eggs in. She finally found one on the bottom shelf, a terra cotta bowl that looked like a planter, and weighed as much as a planter filled with dirt and complete with a small shrub. She was out of breath by the time she finally managed to lift the bowl and set it on the counter.

Cassy could not see into the bowl and had to push a step stool over. The eggs were difficult to break on the rounded lips of the bowl, and their shells were incredibly thick. Finally, Cassy managed to break a dozen eggs and whisk them into a yellow froth with salt, pepper, and chopped onions. Pouring the mixture into a hot skillet proved equally difficult, as it was not only heavy but also the eggs continually sloshed around, throwing the balance of the bowl off. Twice, the bowl threatened to fall off the counter and coat Cassy in a viscous fluid.

By the time Cassy was able to pour all the omelette mixture into the frying pan, the mixture that had already added had began to cook and burn to the bottom of the pan. It was impossible to scrape the omelette off the bottom and perfectly flip it over; instead it broke off in chunks. Cassy growled angrily.

She chopped the remaining omelette up with her spatula and tossed the olives, whole, and green and red peppers into the scrambled eggs, cooking them thoroughly before throwing the mixture onto a plate.

Cyc entered the kitchen and took one look at the plate on the table.

"Didn't you hear? I asked for just toast."

"Toast?!" Cassy said. "You said you wanted eggs!"

"Then I decided I just wanted toast. You mustn't have heard me over all that noise you were making down here. I'll just have fruit then, gotta keep in shape," Cyc said. At that, he reached up to the extremely tall fridge and removed a massive red fruit, the size of Cassy's head, from a basket.

Before Cassy could speak, a loud chorus of thuds and the scampering of "little" Cyclopes' feet. There were a series of crashes as the reverberations sent pictures and knickknacks from the shelves and walls crashing to the floor like bombs. Plaster fell from the ceiling tile.

Cyc laughed. "Uh oh, looks like the infantry's up and running."

He took one step over to the sink to wash his fruit. Cyc lifted his foot up, with chunks of plaster stuck to his heel. He bit into the fruit, observing the white powder on the floor, and scraped it off.

"Huh, I forgot to reinforce the ceiling. Oh well, there's always next week," Cyc said and tossed the bits into the sink. "I sure hope they didn't bust up my trophies…"

Two little Cyclopes raced down the steps into kitchen, their arms outstretched, either for hugging or for food was unknown, since they both had the wild look in their eyes.

The bigger of the two, a full head taller than Cassy and twice her weight, immediately swept Cassy of feet, rewarding her with a tight hug…and a wave of horrible morning breath that only a sugar loving (but toothpaste hating), five year old Cyclops was capable of.

"MOMMY!" he exclaimed.

Cassy gasped in response…the wind and the spit was knocked out of her. The little boy set her down only to have the second child, 3 going on 4, but still larger than her, immediately swooped in and knocked what little wind she was able to absorb right back out of her.

"Mommy!" he repeated his brother's actions.

"No!" Cassy squawked with what little breath she could manage. This one wasn't as strong as his brother, but he was still just as fierce in his affections "Honey, wait…!"

The littler Cyclops nearly dropped her, but stumbled forward and banged Cassy into the fridge, before finally releasing her when Cyc shouted. "C'mon! Give daddy some lovin'!"

Cyc laughed, and gratefully took one of them into his arms, giving them an affectionate embrace.

Suddenly, there was a loud bawling of cries and wails, coming from one of the bedrooms.

"Uh oh," Cyc repeated, then reached behind himself, and threw Cassy what looked like a large bed-sheet. It was only when she caught it, when she realized what it was.

"Sounds like baby needs changing again," Cyc chuckled, as he played with both of the not so little ones, bouncing them on his knees. "Oh, remember to change the bed-sheets too when you're finished. They're getting too scratchy, my dear."

Cyc set the children down. "Now I've got to get to work, Honey. You take care of the boys, and could we have something with eggplant for dinner? I haven't had eggplant for a while."

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, planting a wet smooch. "See you tonight!" he said, patting her rump with his one big finger.

"See you tonight…darling," Cassy stated blandly, as the door shut. By the table, her two sons picked at the omelette.

"I hate olives," Cyc Junior, the older of the two, blandly stated, poking at the yellow and burnt mixture on the table.

"Does it have onions in it? If it does, I'm not eating it," the littler Cyclops, Little Brontes, named after his grandfather, said.

"I want cake," Junior stated.

"Me too, I want cake," Little Cyc chirped in.

"You're not getting cake," Cassy said. "It's breakfast, eat something healthy."

"I want cake!"

"Me too!"

"Cakecakecakecakecakecakecakecake!" they shouted together in unison, and ran around the table.

"EAT THE EGGS! NOW!" Cassandra shouted, slamming two plates onto the table.

The two immediately quieted.

"Thank go-"

"WAAAH WAAH WAAH!"

"Look at what you two did!" Cassy said. "You upset the baby."

"That was you," Junior said, stuffing a slice of bread and eggs into his mouth.

The baby continued to cry. Cassy did not fight with the two at the table, quietly eating with grins on their face and occasional giggles between mouthfuls of food.

Putting her hands by her hips, Cassy headed to the baby's room. A baby, only a few inches smaller than her, and twice her weight, lay in a crib that was twice the size and twice as cushioned as her bed at Manty's.

"Morning, sweetness," she said. "Did you have a good nap?"

Little baby Orin, named after Cyc's cousin, answered with a cry and kicked its legs, nearly taking off Cassy's head. Expertly she ducked, narrowly missing the foot as it set a parting through her hair. The smell in the room would put any barn to shame.

_He's getting stronger every day…heh. _

"You're diaper needs changing, and it would figure Cyc takes offffff!!!!!… " Cassy squealed, as the baby kicked out its other leg. It missed her again, as before, but now both its legs were on either side of her, and before she could move a muscle, the baby kicked its legs out again, and then pulled them back in, pushing her down onto the its belly.

"MMMMM…" Cassy muffled into the baby's tubby belly, as she was held tightly against its green tummy.

The baby giggled, as her muffles tickled it, and released her.

Cassy took deep breaths, and then quickly held it again, as the smell overwhelmed her once more. "I really need to get you a restraint for your legs," she said, as she climbed over the baby's chest, up to its face, and with both her hands, tickled under its chin.

The baby giggled again.

"There's a good baby," she cooed her giant bundle of joy, and then kissed the baby on the nose. She was about to slowly crawl off the baby, when she felt something warm, thick and wet splash onto her hands. She didn't need to look to find out what it was.

"Mental note," she said to herself. "Never, _ever_ tickle the baby _under_ the chin, where its mouth is!" She quickly got off the baby and made her way to the chest of drawers.

From the duck stencil covered drawers, Cassy removed a mask and a set of elbow length gloves.

"All right, honey, let's change that diaper," she said, cracking her knuckles.

The baby cooed again, and as if understanding, it lifted its legs.

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One hour later 

The baby was sound asleep, after giving Cassy a run for her money. She was in the master bedroom folding clothes and preparing to change the sheets on the bed. It was quiet around the house, the baby asleep, the sea birds were out to sea, and Cyc Junior and little Brontes were quietly playing somewhere in the house.

Perhaps, it was too quiet.

Cassy shook it off. It was just an anomaly. In a house full of children, quiet days do happen. She continued to fold sheets, taking the day (most likely the few minutes) for all they were worth. She heard a giggle, and turned to see little Brontes. He giggled and held a finger up to his lips.

"Playing hide and go seek?" she asked, sitting the hamper on the floor and removing a white sheet to place on the bed.

Little Brontes giggled again, smiling broadly, his face turning a darker green. He quickly disappeared, leaving behind a trail of childish giggles.

Cassy sighed, as she balled up the old bed sheets and pillowcases, and tossed them into the hamper to be washed.

To enter the washing room, Cassy had to pass through the kitchen. She made it three steps into the kitchen when she fell flat on her butt, the hamper cushioning her fall.

"What the?" Cassy exclaimed. Junior was standing a few feet away from her, staring out the window, frozen in a flex pose. His baby soft skin on his biceps was all shiny and greasy. Lying on the floor was an empty canister of vegetable grease. Covering the walls, floors, cupboards and fridge were the patterns of Cyclops hands.

"Look, Mommy! I'm just like Daddy!" Junior said with pride, mimicking his father's body-hammer movements.

"Oh, Junior! You need a bath!"

"No I don't!" the voice of pride quickly changed to fear.

"Get back here!" Cassy exclaimed, abandoning the dirty laundry and chasing after the little Cyclops who proved to be as difficult, if even more so, to catch than a greased pig…he certainly squealed like one.

Fortunately, the hybrid child was wearing a long loincloth, and as he ran, the tail of the cloth trailed behind him, and Cassy was able to grab it.

"There, now just…WHOAAAAA!" she yelled, as Junior began dragging her behind him, like water-skiing.

Junior neighed, like a stallion, as he pulled his mother behind him. He bounced up and down, pretending he was a horse, thinking this was a game.

'Why is it,' she thought simultaneously, 'that most of the time, I'm trying to avoid getting injured by my kids?'

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It had taken her an hour, but eventually she was able to slow Junior down, and get him into the bath, by coaxing him with the promise of an ice cream, if he was good.

Junior had grunted and complained the entire way, as she painfully scrubbed his hind. The grease was almost impossible to get out of his hair. Brontes had just stood about, laughing as his brother got the bath, and he didn't. Cassy was almost tempted to give him a bath too, but in the end didn't, for two very good reasons.

One, she didn't have the time, as she needed to go out and get some shopping. And two, chasing down and bathing one Cyclops kid was bad enough. Chasing down and bathing a second was just plain suicidal.

As she walked down the marketplace, with her two sons in hand, she felt mildly ridiculous. Each one held one of her hands, and at intervals they would pick up her and swing her…like parents would do when their kid was in between them…though parents were often more gentler in their handling of swinging someone smaller than them. Cassy was repeatedly jerked about…as neither of the two had any coordination.

At first glance, it looked like she was nothing more than a doll between the two children. The goods on the stall shelves shook with each step the two took. Cassy wasn't on the ground half the time, so she was not to blame for their thunderous footsteps.

"Junior?" she near pleaded with him, as her arm was nearly wretched out of socket…the umpteenth time that day. "Please try and walk a little—eck—more—urk!— gently?"

Junior however wasn't listening, as something else had caught his one eye, something a lot more pleasing to his sight. He jerked Cassy along. She was nearly torn in half, as little Brontes remained still, until he finally followed his big brother, using Cassy as a leash.

"Hey, beautiful!" Junior suddenly yelled out at a little Griffin-girl, and snatched his hand away from Cassy, nearly taking her with it. "Want some of this?!" He turned, bent over, and shook his backside at her.

"JUNIOR!" Cassy slapped him on his flank, her race gone bright red, but he didn't even feel the slap, because of his tough Cyclops flesh.

In that moment, she saw more of his father in him than ever before.

"Hey, gorgeous!" Little Brontes' voice suddenly rang out, and she saw him yelling to a passing Minotaur-girl. "Wanna feel some _real_ muscle?!" He said, as he flexed his muscles at her. He was young, but remarkably muscular for his age.

Cassy wanted to shrink away and disappear, as her boys continued ignoring her and shouting passes at every girl in seeing distance. Pretty soon, everyone in the entire crowd was stopping to stare at them.

"Daddy's taught you well," she hissed under her breath.

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After finally getting her kids to stop yelling passes at the Gorgon sisters (some one in their age limit finally, but still it was quite embarrassing), and trying to get the Harpies to feel their biceps, Cassy dragged her kids quickly to each stall, ordering, grabbing and buying all the groceries she needed. The shopkeepers were all too ready to serve her, as they wanted her and her kids out of their stalls at the double.

Cassy moaned with agony, as she dragged both her kids, and the several carts of shopping she had done, behind her. One thing about being married into a family of Cyclopes, they certainly rank up your grocery bill.

With both her arms feeling ready to drop off, she painfully pressed her kids ahead of her into the house, and pulled the shopping bags behind her. Like most kids, they never thought about helping with the shopping (that was what mommies were for), and immediately ran into the living room to play.

Junior jumped up and landed in the middle of the room, causing the room to quake and shudder, while little Brontes began play-acting like a wild stallion, neighing and kicking his legs.

"Kids, pleaseeeeee?" Cassy pleaded, but as always, was ignored by them.

"When's dinner?!" they both asked.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open, and Cyc came strutting in.

"Hello, all!" he boomed, laughing, and then began twisting and moving his hips. "Where's my little woman?! Cos I'm home, I'm hungry, and I'm ready for some lovin!"

"I have a headache, Cyc," Cassy snarled, as she went into the kitchen, and then slammed a casserole dish down on the table. "How's about you go play with your sons. They could use a little affection."

'_Among other things…'_

"Aw, come on, dear," Cyc said, pretending to be hurt, as he poked his head into the kitchen. "I just got back from a _long_ hard day of work."

Cassy gritted her teeth. '_You have no idea…' _she thought, and then realized. "Dear, it's only one-o-clock!"

Cyc shrugged. "Hey, the harder you work, the longer the day feels."

"I can't make dinner with you taking the kitchen up like this!" Cassy said, as Cyc's flank was pressing up against her. She picked up a frying pan.

"All right, all right, geez," Cyc said and strolled out, and made his way upstairs. "Err, honey?!" he called.

"What?!" Cassy asked. She dropped what she was doing, and quickly ran all the way upstairs, ignoring Junior and little Brontes as they continued bouncing off the walls.

"What is it now?!" she asked, as she entered their bedroom.

"Why's my underwear yanked over the bed?" he asked wondering, pointing at his dark green pants that were stretched over the bed.

Cassy felt her cheeks flush. She thought the bed sheet had smelt a little funny today.

While Cyc roughhoused in the bedroom, making sure Cassy had another room to clean tomorrow, along with the bathroom. There were more crashes from downstairs—and shelves to reinforce, on top of that. And they were going to damn well make sure there was going to be a kitchen to clean tomorrow as well, after dinner.

At that thought, a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling, as Cassy made her way back to the kitchen to finish dinner. It struck a clay bowl, and flipped it onto the floor, sending its contents, pine nuts, and scattering across the floor before shattering into pieces.

"Oh, honey!" Cyc suddenly called.

Cassy resisted the impulse to swear, and marched back into the living room, nearly slipping on the pine nuts. "What?!" she said, near snarling.

Cyc however didn't notice, as he had both of his sons on his knees, bouncing them up and down, as they giggled incessantly.

Cassy stopped, smiling slightly. For all the hard work that her husband gave her, she had to admit that when it came to their kids, there was no one finer to care for them. If only he could learn to clean up after himself, and teach them some things a little more constructive than how to pick up girls, then she would be all the more happier.

Cyc then put the children down, and they ran off to play somewhere else.

"Honey?" he repeated.

Cassy sighed, and walked in. "What is it?" she asked, loosing a little of her edge.

Cyc rested into his favourite chair, snuggling into it. The enormous chair creaked in protest to his massive weight.

"I almost forgot," he continued, unfolding his evening paper, The New Olympus Times. "I bumped into dad and my cousin Orin today. They asked how you were, so I thought they should see for themselves. So I invited them for dinner tonight."

Cassy lost what was left of her cool composure. "What?!" she said, part hissing, part near fainting.

Cyc shrugged. "Hey, I thought the kids could do with seeing their favourite uncle and grandfather again. I didn't think you'd mind."

"But they were here only last night!" she said exasperated.

Cyc said nothing, and just looked at his paper. Cassy groaned, and started to head back into the kitchen to get a bigger bowl.

"Ohhh, sugarplum!" Cyc called again, in a long tone sweet voice.

Cassy looked back. "What now?" she hissed through her teeth.

Cyc grinned, wiggled his one eye-ridge at her, and then lifted both of his gigantic feet up. "It's toe-time!" he announced, and wriggled his toes at her, indicating their need for a clipping. "And don't forget my foot-rub too, sugar-lips!"

All Cassy could do was just stand there, underneath the shadow of her husband's big feet, which were as tall as she was, and she could feel the bile rushing up from her stomach and into her mouth.

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After giving her 'loving' husband's toenails a clipping, and his feet a thorough foot-rub, by standing on 3 footstools I might add, Cassy immediately got to work on the dinner.

She scrubbed and peeled almost several hundred potatoes, and then several hundred more, followed by the vegetables, the two hundred roasts, and the cakes for dessert. The hard thing about being married into a family of Cyclops is that however much you eat, you times it by about a hundred to qualify for a Cyclops meal.

Of course Cyc was all too eager to help… His idea of helping though was by washing a few spuds, ate some, and then went to play with the children.

Cassy grunted, as she loaded the last of the roasts into the oven. Suddenly, a loud crash came from the living room.

"Oh for…What now?!" she yelled, and ran into the living room.

She raced in, and found Cyc in the middle of the room looking as though he was doing a buffalo dance or something. He was kneeling on all fours, with Junior and Brontes on his back, neighing like a horse and bouncing all over the place, like he was in a rodeo.

They were obviously playing horsy-rides. (What was it with this family and horsy-rides???)

For some parents, this might seem cute and lovable, but unfortunately for someone like Cassy, when a giant like a Cyclops plays buckaroo in the living room, things tend to get a little messed up.

"Stop it!" Cassy yelled, squealing as her favourite vase got smashed, and her sofa got kicked out through the window.

Cyc and the kids didn't hear her though, and continued wrecking the room, as they pranced through it, Cyc kicking his legs out from under him.

"Cyc, you…OOF!" Cassy yelped, as Cyc accidentally kicked her with his large foot, sending her flying across the room, straight into one of the giant beanbags on the floor.

"Huh?" Cyc said, finally hearing something of Cassy's faint voice. "Oh hey, honey-buns! Dinner ready yet?"

Cassy swooned, as her head felt like it was swimming. 'Perhaps I should have taken that proposal from the cute little Satyr instead?' she thought.

The door-chime rang, and Cyc got up with both the kids still on his back, clinging on.

"That'll be the gang!" he called, and went to answer the door.

Sure enough…Cyc's father, Brontes Senior, and Cyc's cousin, Orin, came pounding through the giant doorway, clasping hands, shaking them, and laughing. Brontes took each of his grandchildren in his arms, hugging them affectionately, while Orin and Cyc immediately began flexing their muscles, measuring themselves up against each other.

Brontes Senior was the image of the Cyclops that Proteus had turned himself into, long ago, as it had been him that Proteus had modelled his Cyclops alter-image after, though Brontes' form had matured a little in recent years. He still wore the same long beard and hair, and his muscles had grown a little more mass from spending more years working in construction. The one thing that had changed was that he had grown a little blubbery around his stomach area. He wasn't fat per say, it was just that was his former washboard stomach was covered in layer of fat that was starting even out and soften it. It would only be a matter of a few years until the stomach slowly seeped over his belt.

Orin was the same as always. He and Cyc were almost completely identical now, with equal height and muscle mass, though neither of them would ever admit it, as they were constantly measuring themselves up against one another. Orin was a little more particular with his appearance though, as his hair was always kept short and smartly combed, and he preferred to keep his 'party-boy' image for as long as he could, so he was always clean-shaven.

Cassy climbed down off the chair. 'Terrific,' she thought. 'Early as always.'

"Hey, hot-lips!" Orin boomed. Despite not being married to her, all the men in Cyc's family tended to refer to her by a number of pet names.

Orin leaned over, grasping her whole body in his own hand, lifting her to his face, and gave her a sloppy kiss.

"Hey! Save some for me, boy!" Brontes laughed, and took Cassy from him, kissing her also, his beard tickling her and making her itch. "How's my favourite daughter-in-law?!"

Cassy cringed. "Fine, except for an ear-ache."

"Didn't know you had an ear-ache, doll?" Cyc asked.

"Neither did I," Cassy replied. Everyone laughed, and Brontes slapped her on her back playfully, nearly taking all of the wind out of her.

"Well," Cyc slapped his hands together, rubbing them "Who's up for a game of cards?! Cassy, get the dinner on the table, will you?"

Cassy clenched her teeth. "Sure! Anything else while I'm up?!"

Cyc shrugged. "Not for me, thanks."

"I'm good." Orin replied.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind something, Cassy dear," Brontes asked, and lifted his right foot up. "My corns have been giving me dreadful ache today. Mind rubbing them for a bit?"

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Brontes moaned in pleasure, as he felt Cassy rub the sores on his foot. "Thanks a lot, love," he said. "It's been agony walking on these things. But tell me one thing... What's with the gasmask?"

Cassy looked up, her gasmask concealing her whole face. "No reason... dad?" It was hard getting used to calling someone dad, when the guy acted just like Cyc, a gigolo. But Brontes had insisted the day when she and Cyc had exchanged vows.

"Okay then!" Orin boomed, tapping the music box, sending out waves of loud Olympians music. "Let's get this party started!" And began shaking his hips to the rhythm of the music.

Brontes and Cyc were quick to follow his lead, and even Junior and Brontes were soon dancing. Cassy could only sit and watch, as she was afraid of getting trod on by them. She watched, as several pairs of giant green feet stomped and tapped on the floor.

"Come on, babe!" Cyc roared, already drunk as a skunk. "Let's dance!" He grabbed and scooped her up into his arms, twirling her around, making her dizzy.

Cassy squealed, as she was whirled around the room. She watched, as Junior and Little Brontes bumped their hips together in tune to the music, while Senior Brontes and Orin looked more like they were dancing at a strip-club, as they shook themselves and ran their fingers over their shining skin. .

"Hey, Cyc!" Orin called to his cousin. "Quit hugging all the action! Let us have a go with the little lady!"

Cassy yelped, as she was hurled into the air, flew across the room, and landed right into Orin's waiting hands.

"Let's you and me cut the rug, babe!" Orin yelled into her ear, and balanced her on his hip while he thumped his foot on the floor.

"WHOA!!" Cassy squealed, as she once again held onto dear life by digging her nails into Orin's rough hide. Orin didn't seem to notice, and if he did then he just simply laughed. He then bumped his hip with Brontes', and Cassy felt herself pass from one Cyclops to the other.

Brontes then picked Cassy up in his huge hands, hugged her tightly to his belly, and then threw her up in the air.

Cassy screamed, as she sailed up through the air, and back down again. Fortunately, Brontes' hands were waiting for her, but as soon as she was down, she was up again. This time, when she fell, Brontes spun around, and when she was level with him, he stuck out his backside and bumped her, bouncing her all the way to the ceiling.

"I DON'T EVEN LIKE TO DANCE!!!" Cassy yelled, as she felt herself come crashing back down to earth again. This time however, Brontes didn't catch her, as he was having more fun with the dancing, and briefly forgot about his daughter in law.

As Cassy fell to the ground, Brontes and Orin bumped their backsides together… Unfortunately, they did this just at the exact same moment when Cassy had fallen in-between them.

"Uhhhh," Cassy moaned, as Brontes and Orin detached their butts from one another, still not noticing her, and she continued falling, and fell head first into a pile of laundry that was suddenly on the floor.

Cassy spluttered, as she fought her way to the top of the laundry pile that she was in. She blinked her eyes, as she took in the pile, and suddenly realized she was sitting in a pile of diapers.

"EEWWWWW!" she wrinkled her nose, and tried to get up, but something seemed to be holding her down, like she was carrying a heavy backpack, except that it seemed to be in front of her, not on her back.

"Careful, honey!" Cyc said, not even bothering to pause in his dancing, as he shook his toosh at her. "You don't want to risk hurting the little ones, do you?!"

"The kids are…!" she began, thinking he meant Brontes and Junior, but for some reason she couldn't see them anymore. All she could see was the three pairs of big feet, belonging to the three big Cyclops that were literally bringing the house down, as they danced.

"Yeah, hon!" Brontes said, as he ran his beefy hands over his body. "You don't wanna be getting _too_ excited in your condition!"

"My cond…?" Cassy started, but stopped, as her eyes bulged right out of their sockets. Her belly was now swollen completely beyond all proportions. It looked as though she had swallowed a hundred basketballs. "What happened to me?!" she screamed.

Cyc continued dancing. "What do you mean?!" he asked seemingly confused. "What do you think we do every night?!" He winked at her. "Better not shout! Don't wanna upset the twins!"

"Twins?!"

"Nah, triplets! Or at least it will be the next time!" Cyc laughed, and slapped a high-five with his cousin and father.

Suddenly, Cassy felt something shift under her skin. As she peered closer at her stomach, she could just make out the outlines of a one-eyed face pressing itself against her abdominal wall. She yelped, as the face seemed to yawn at her, and looked as though it was crying.

"Awww, baby's hungry!" Orin cooed at her, and then handed Cassy a giant baby's bottle.

"But I'm not…" Cassy felt the pile under her begin to shift and tumble. She tried to get off, but the pile moved again and she slid into an opening, and with her gigantic stomach, she was unable to move any further.

She struggled, but no one came to her assistance. The pile moved again, and she saw something emerge from it. It turned out to be a head, a baby Cyclops's head. The baby crawled out of the pile, on all fours, as it made its way to the dance-floor, followed by several more children that crawled out after it.

A disco-ball suddenly lowered from the ceiling, and a sparkle of silver lights twinkled around the room. The babies, there were twelve of them now and more were still coming out of the pile, managed to get up on their legs and began mimicking their elders movements, dancing across the floor.

Cyc, Brontes, and Orin were still prancing all about the room, crying out "Oh Dig it!" and "Yeah, baby!" and other such logos. Cyc stopped for a moment, and then bent over in front of her, speaking to her through his legs.

"Don't forget dinner, hon!" he said, and then got up to continue dancing.

Cassy continued struggling to get up, but no one came and she was unable to get up. More children crawled out from under her, following the rest of the Cyclops's babies, and copying Cyc, Brontes, and Orin's dance moves.

"No, stop!" Cassy cried. "There's too many!"

In fact, the babies seemed to be getting bigger. They were actually close up to the same height as Brontes now, and he was the tallest of the three elder Cyclops. They grinned, laughed, danced, and jumped, causing miniature earthquakes in the house.

"Stop?!" Cyc said seemingly confused, and then laughed. "Babe, we've only just gotten started!"

"By Tartarus, yes!" Brontes called out, teaching the kids how to do the bump. "Honey, when you're with a Cyclops, nothing comes small… especially families!"

Cassy yelped, as the dozens of Cyclopes began closing in on her. The room could only take so much, and the space of the room was wearing thin. She yelped again, as hands began shooting out of the pile, right where she was sitting, and held her in place. "No more! No more!" she cried. "I never said I wanted a big family!"

Cyc grinned at her. "What did you expect when you married a hunk like me?!" he flexed his muscles. The rest of the Cyclops was quick to follow his example, the envy to any Broadway dance line. "Big is just genetic with us Cyclopes!"

"Oh by the way, sugar-lips!" Cyc finally said.

Cassy looked up, and saw Cyc suddenly towering over her with a large basket in his hands.

"Don't forget to do _my_ laundry while you're at it!" Cyc said, as he tipped the basket over, and loads upon loads of his shorts, underwear and socks fell out, right on top of her.

"AHH!" Cassy screamed and burrowed out of the leg of one of Cyc's undergarments. She felt her face turn red. She felt like a volcano threatening to blow, but there was a cork stuck in the end. Then the cork popped out, quite explosively. "CYC, YOU DUMB MALE CHAVONIST NUMBSKULL! I'M NOT YOUR WASHERWOMAN! I'M NOT SOME GOD FORSAKEN BABY-SPEWING MACHINE! I'M NOT YOUR DOTING WIFE. AND THERE'S NOT A CHANCE IN HECK THAT I'M GONNA WASH YOUR DIRTY…"

"Feet?" Cyc finished her sentence.

Cassy looked up. She could scarcely see his face, as he was so tall. His big toe towered over her.

"Yeep," she squeaked.

"Here you go, love. Remember to push back the cuticles now there!"

"What about my condit—WHOA!" Cassy exclaimed, nearly crushed under a giant cotton swab that Cyc dropped down for her. She caught it, and was nearly knocked off balance, hugging the unwieldy swab in her arms. Her knees felt about ready to snap in two.

Cyc moved his foot in.

Cassy screeched and dove out of the way, onto the dance floor. She avoided one set of feet, and like James Bond, rolled to avoid another set of feet. By now the Cyclopes had grown so large she could not even see their faces, just their feet and ankles…and those appeared to stretching and growing, as she hazily avoided them like rocks falling from a cave ceiling.

"Mama, where's Mama?" a set of feet, dressed in blue booties, walked towards her. The shape of the feet was rounder, and stubbier then the rest…and they were coming straight towards her!

"Mama? Mama?" they bore down on her, and she could see the pads of their booties now.

Cassy yelled out, and ran over to a giant sofa, climbing up as fast as her hands and legs could carry her. Everything in her home had now grown at least twice its size…. Not even Cyclops furniture was this big! What was going on?!

Cassy climbed up to the top of the sofa, breathing heavily.

"_Boy, all this dancing is really taking the wind out of me!" _a booming voice said. "_I need to take the weight off my feet!" _

She couldn't tell if it was Cyc, Orin or Brontes, because all she could see at that moment… was a big dark aqua-green butt coming right down on her.

Cassy screamed, and braced herself…

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… Cassy screamed loudly, as she awoke from her nightmare. She looked up at the ceiling, half-expecting to see a Cyclops' rear come crashing through any minute.

Cassy grasped her chest, feeling her heart throbbing. Next thing she grasped was her stomach. It rumbled with hunger or upset, but it was smooth, not bulging or bearing any stretch marks.

She was in her room, her own bedroom. She was in her bed, her twin sized bed, by herself. A few stuffed animals covered her shelves, and the many flowers decorated her room, filling it with their fragrance. Outside there was the buzz of electricity and the occasional passing hovercraft.

Cassy laid back into her bed, curling up into her pillows, taking deep breaths until she could get her heart to slow down.

Just then, she noticed a blinking glow by the side of her bed. She realized it was her pocket phone on her nightstand. Instantly, she snatched it up. Her fingers frantically dialled.

There was a ring…

Another ring…

And another ring…

"Hello?" the voice answered, sounding tired.

"Cyc?"

There was low, confused moan at the other end of the line, waiting for an answer.

"It's me, Cassy."

The sudden energy was almost instantaneous.

"CASSY! So you finally came to a conclusion huh, babe? Couldn't resist the Cyclops magnetism? Couldn't…"

With equal simultaneousness, Cassy responded…with one single breath.

"Sorry, Cyc. I can't see myself marrying you. I will have to turn your offer down. I cant, I just can't, I really can't. Goodbye!"

"I'll always be here on the re… "

_Click._

"Cassy?"

Cassy curled in her bed and fell asleep, while Cyc sat in his own bed till morning, holding the phone, blinking.

"Was it something I said?" Cyc said out loud.

To Be Continued… 


	9. Chapter 9

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

Previously: - 

_In her dream, Cassy screamed loudly. But she woke up suddenly, a hoarse squeal that sounded like air hissing out of a tire, scratching its way out of her throat. Cassy grasped her chest, feeling her heart throbbing. Next thing she grasped was her stomach. It rumbled with hunger or upset, but it was smooth, not bulging or bearing any stretch marks. _

_She was in her room, her bedroom. She was in her bed, her twin sized bed, by herself. A few stuffed animals covered her shelves, and the many flowers decorated her room, filling it with their fragrance. Outside there was the buzz of electricity and the occasional passing hovercraft. _

_000000000000000000_

"_CASSY! So you finally came to a conclusion huh, babe? Couldn't resist the Cyclops magnetism? Couldn't…"_

_With equal simultaneousness, Cassy responded…with one single breath._

"_Sorry, Cyc. I can't see myself marrying you. I will have to turn your offer down. I cant, I just can't…I really can't."_

"_I'll always be here on the reb-"_

_Click._

"_Cassy?"_

_**-Aftermath, Part II-**_

**And Now, The Continuation: **

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**Aftermath, Part III**

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**The Streets of New Olympus; 10:00AM:**

Taurus was in a good mood. The weather was nice and warm, and up to now he was actually enjoying his 'vacation'.

While walking to the city baths to get ready for his 'date' with Cassy, Taurus recalled the events that had led to him having some time for himself. It was when he had entered Boreas' office. And while he had been disturbed by the news he received, this meeting had a good side-effect for him...

_**---Flashback---**_

"Ah, Taurus. You are on time. Come in," Boreas said, while looking up from his paperwork. Boreas seemed almost happy that he could delay all the bureaucratic problems for a while, but remained serious.

Walking to the front of Boreas' desk, Taurus saluted and then said, "Chief Taurus of the security forces reporting as ordered, Sir. What is it that you needed my attendance for, Sir?"

Boreas grimaced when he heard from Taurus the very formal protocol, which all lowly ranked security officers used towards their high-level superiors. Most likely he did so to make up for his blunder this morning.

"I've told you dozens of times, please do not use this stiff protocol when we are not in public... As for why I called you... You'd better sit down. This explanation will take a while. But needless to say, this is a matter of great importance for all of New Olympus."

"Of course, Boreas," Taurus answered, and then sat down to listen.

It took a while for Boreas to explain all of it. He explained what had happened while he had been on his search for Cassy. The fact that human technology had developed so far revealed that it was now only a matter of time before the cloak would become useless. He then told him what they were planning, but still would need his input, which was why he was here now.

Finally, Boreas waited for Taurus' reaction after finishing with retelling the latest events. Taurus seemed to think, but then answered, "Disturbing... most disturbing. You are right. The situation is very serious. As far as it concerns my field of work, I have to agree, we cannot risk a conflict. To be frank, a serious invasion from the outside would end in the slaughter of our people. My security is a police force, not an army. A great gathering will be for now the best course of action. But how do you plan to convince the majority that a conflict would be our end?"

"I've ordered Talos who is in constant contact with the humans' worldwide information system, to gather information and show how much destructive power the humans could unleash on us, should it come to conflict," Boreas told him.

"Good. Then word about the gathering can be brought to the people, but this is Xylon's task. Mine will be to make sure that the preparations and the gathering itself will be held without any disruptions," Taurus concluded. "Is there anything else, Sir?"

"Hmm, yes, there is one more thing. You look like something that has been dead for days. Taurus, I know that you take your job very serious, but in this condition, you would be more of a burden for your force," Boreas told Taurus, looking at the still tired looking Minotaur.

Taurus hadn't expected that. "Boreas...?" Then he stayed silent, when Boreas continued to speak.

"Therefore, your second will take over for four days. I order you to take these days off. Try to recover in the meantime. That will be all, Taurus..." Boreas concluded, and then returned his concentration to the paperwork on his desk.

Taurus knew he was dismissed. Walking out of the office, he wondered what he could do with this free time...

"Well...for every thing there is a first time," he told himself, while he walked to the exit. And the first thing he would do was to get a little more sleep. He still needed it more than anything else.

_**---End of the Flashback---**_

_'Well, what can I do, I now know. Let's see how this evening will develop,' _he thought, while finally arriving at the city baths. _'I think she will like my little surprise'_

Entering the building, Taurus walked to the adult's bath. He still wondered why Cassy seemed to avoid the baths like the plague, and only used them when they were nearly empty. It never entered his mind that she was raised with much different ideas of modesty.

While he disrobed, he groaned at the sight of how many people were there at the moment. It was obviously rush-hour at the baths, meaning that he had to wait a while before he could clean himself, as there were only so many buckets and other washing utensils. Putting away his vest, he sat down and waited for an opening.

"Mmhhh... That was really refreshing."

Taurus' ears perked up when he heard this voice. He knew whom it belonged to. And his suspicion was confirmed, when he saw his neighbor Calypso walking towards a bench on the other side of the room. She hadn't noticed him. He had never before met her in the baths, so this was the first time he saw this particular naiad maiden this way.

He had to admit that she was quite well built. Every male's dream actually...Taurus didn't notice a certain part of his anatomy twitching several times, while he watched her.

Suddenly she lost the small bucket with her personal bathing items, which spilled on the floor. "Oh, damn!" she said, bending over to pick them up.

Taurus couldn't help, but stare. He had a perfect view of her beautiful backside, her nice firm ass high in the air. Since her legs were slightly spread apart, he got a really good view at her private area.

It was mysteriously interesting to watch Calypso's ass moving a little, while she picked up her stuff. Finally she was finished, and vanished into the crowd. Taurus blinked.

"Hey, Chief, looks like you saw something you like!" he suddenly heard from his right. It was one of his men in the force, a muscle-packed Centaur. "Maybe you need to do something about it?" laughing, the Centaur walked away.

Taurus was sure he would hear a lot of these comments if he wouldn't do something about his… personal area. He, the usually no-nonsense Chief of Security, who had no time for females, showing such a sign of interest.

_'Think about something! Fast!' _he panicked in his mind.

Looking around, he suddenly saw something that would help to solve his problem. A little further away was a REALLY old Harpy woman of at least 70 years. It was quite a disturbing view. Taurus forced himself to look intensely at her. And like magic, his arousal suddenly lost its appeal in seconds.

Taking a breath of relief, Taurus walked to a free spot, vowing not to think about Calypso. And especially not about the display she had given him. Because every time her started to picture her in his mind, the blood started to rush to his nether regions.

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**Cyc's Residence; Short Time Later: **

Cassy walked up the steps to Cyc's front door, or leaped as that was the more accurate term, considering that the steps were built for Cyclops size.

"Computer, sound chime!" Cassy called to Cyc's house-computer. She thanked Heaven that the Olympians had been smart to install a computer to the door-chime of the house. If they hadn't, she would have dreaded to think how on earth she would have been able to reach the doorbell?

A few moments' later, heavy ground-shaking footsteps echoed from behind the door, and a few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Cyc's curious eye looking down on her.

"Hello, Cyc?" she said nervously.

Cyc seemed surprised to see her. "Oh, hey, Cass," he stepped aside to let her in, leaning on the doorframe, seductively. "What are you doing here?"

Cassy sighed, as she entered. "Cyc, I'm here to say sorry," she started.

Cyc looked curiously at her, immediately dropping the pose. "Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for brushing you off like I did," she replied. "I didn't mean to just call you up in the middle of the night, and leave you hanging like that. I just… I really don't think it would've worked out between us, that's all."

"Oh, you still on about the proposal thing?" Cyc said, realizing what she meant.

Cassy looked at him incredulously. "Err, yes," she said astounded. "That is why you haven't been returning my calls for the last hour, isn't it?"

Cyc shrugged his massive shoulders. "I only just got back in," he grinned. "After you called, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to the River Styx. They were having a late night. I met this really cute girl called Andromeda; she's this real foxy…"

He proceeded to start outlining Andromeda's figure in the air (probably imaging feeling it as he did so).

Cassy felt like swooning. She had been scared all morning that Cyc had been heart-broken by her refusal to marry him, and all the time he had been going off with another girl less than an hour after she had given him the brush-off??? So much for claiming to be on the rebound…

Cassy scrunched up her face.

"Say, what's the matter?" Cyc asked her.

"Nothing," Cassy said, still looking unbelievable. "Absolutely frigging nothing. You really are incredibly, Cyc. You know that?"

Cyc grinned. "Hey, babe. I've known that for years!" he flexed his muscles at her, doing a few hammer bodybuilder impressions.

'I give up,' Cassy thought, heaving her arms in resignation.

"Just out of curiosity," Cyc suddenly asked her. "What made you change your mind?"

Cassy looked at him. "About what?"

Cyc shrugged, and then flexed his muscles as his shoulders' droop. He was not one to let anything get him down. "What made you decide not to marry me?"

Cassy blinked. "Cyc, I never said I would marry you in the first place. I told that I needed some time to think it over."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Cyc said, not convinced. "But what made you change your mind anyway?"

Cassy fumed. "Fine, whatever. I just had a realllly long think about it, and I…well, let's just say that after sleeping on it, I decided that the two of us wouldn't really be best suited to one another."

Cyc shrugged. "Perhaps you're right, babe," he replied, seemingly agreeing with her. "After all, with only one guy like me, we wouldn't want to get the girls on the island restless now, would we?"

Cassy shook her head in disbelief.

"Say, you want a drink?" Cyc suddenly asked her. "I was just doing some pump-ups, and I need to wet my whistle so to speak. Fancy an Ambrosia?"

Cassy sighed, nodding her head. She didn't have to meet Taurus for a little while yet. "Sure."

"Great!" Cyc pointed to his father's study. "Park your buns in there, okay? I'll be with you in a minute."

Cassy nodded, walking into the room while Cyc went off to make the drinks.

"Should've known he wouldn't make too big of a fuss about it," she frowned. She looked around her friend's dad's study. It still felt weird to her whenever she came to Cyc's place, where everything was like something out of that old story that she had heard as a child, about Jack and The Beanstalk. She felt like she was in the giant's castle, which she supposed she was, though she could never imagine Cyc doing the old 'Fee fi fo fum' bit.

Cyc was always particular with his drink making, and seemed to take it rather seriously, so he knew he'd be taking a while. She thought he would make a pretty good bartender, if the position at the Baths, or this new gig of his and Orin's didn't work out.

She looked around the room. She saw old newspapers scattered around the place that were as big as tablecloths. Chairs large enough for elephants, a table as big as that hut of Achilles…she briefly shuddered at the memory of him, but refused to let it consume her…and a chest twice the size of a coffin.

At first she had thought that it was a coffin, but then thought better against it. After all, what would a coffin be doing in a study?

She knew she shouldn't pry, but her curiosity got the better of her. She tiptoed over to the large chest, and pried the top of it open. The chest was huge, but the wood was quite thin and light, so it was easy to lift.

She took a quick peep inside. There didn't seem to be anything really interesting inside, aside from old hologram photos, some old school yearbooks, and a picture of a female… Cassy blushed.

She was about to close the lid, when she saw something else…something that was definitely much more interesting. She reached her hand in, having to lean in most of the way, and pulled out something that was wrapped in some kind of plastic.

She undid the bag, and pulled out its contents. The bag contained pages from an ancient looking scroll, which was wrapped in plastic sheets, seemingly to help preserve it. There was also a large red ruby, and some sort of calculator?

The scroll looked ancient, perhaps hundreds if not thousands of years old? She didn't want to remove it from the plastic, as that might damage the musty old paper. Judging from the look of it, one false move could rip it to shreds.

She could see some of the writing that was on the old paper, but couldn't make it out. The words were neither Olympian nor English. She couldn't make head or tail out of them.

The ruby intrigued her, but she quickly put it back into the bag, not wanting to be caught with a priceless jewel. She fully intended to do the same with the others, but then she took a closer look at what she thought had been a calculator. Upon inspecting it more closely, she realized that it was actually a Language Translator.

"That'll work," she said, and activated the machine. It was not exactly Cyclops size material, as it was only about two or three times the size of an ordinary calculator back home. But then again, Cyclops' had no real love for literacy, preferring to read faces…actually bodies…than writing, so there was no great demand for them in their society. This was most likely a translator that had been designed for some other smaller sized species, a forgotten belonging of a former lover of Brontes or some other relative perhaps.

She scanned the translator over the first of the few pages. She didn't know how many there were, but there seemed to be quite a few.

As the mini-computer scanned in the whole page, the screen lit up and asked her what language she requested.

"English, please," she responded, and waited as the machine compiled the data, and within a few moments, a page full of English words were printed out across the screen, in bold letters.

Cassy smiled, and quickly skimmed through the words. She didn't think Cyc would be much longer with the drinks, so she knew she had to hurry.

_Days have turned into weeks, or possibly months? I no longer have any indication of time. I recall a time when I had a name, but that chapter of my life has now long since past. I have no need of a name._

Cassy frowned. This sounded serious. She wondered if perhaps Cyc or his father had written this? Neither seemed like the literary type, and even if they were, why would they write it in some ancient language? None of them knew anything besides the language English, which they been brought up with.

She skimmed down further, and then learnt the answer…

_I did have a name once, long ago. It was Helen, daughter of Diana._

The name rang a thousand bells in her head. She recognized it instantly as the name of the poor Human woman from Ancient Greece who had been kidnapped and raped by the Cyclops, one of Cyc's ancestors, and died giving birth to his child.

Cassy's blood tuned cold, as she realized what she was holding in her hands… This, in her hands, had to be the tragic woman's journal. From the way she sounded in her words, she must have written in during her ordeal with the Cyclops.

Cassy knew she shouldn't be looking at things that didn't belong to her. Her parents had always stressed to teach her to respect other people's property. She shouldn't read this as well, but it wasn't as if Helen would mind, as she had been dead for thousands of years.

She took into consideration Cyc and his father Bronte's feelings, but at that moment all she could think about was what else was in this journal?

"Hey, Cass!" Cyc's thunderous voice called to her, making her jump. "You want ice?"

Cassy breathed heavily. "Err, yes thanks!" she called back. She didn't have much time if Cyc was asking her for ice, as he only did that when the drink was finished.

Cassy wanted to see what else was in this journal. This Helen was the closest that Cassy had a connection, considering her rape. Although there had been some attacks in New Olympus, there had been no actual rapes besides hers. She was all alone.

This Helen and her were separated by thousands of years, yet they had shared the same experience, the same torment, and the same problem with the after-affect of their rapes, considering their children.

Cassy couldn't stand it any longer. Besides, this chest didn't look as if it had been opened in a while, so maybe no one would notice it missing? She grabbed all the sheets from the bag. There were over thirty of them.

Cassy reactivated the translator, and began scanning each of the sheets as fast as she could. She had got through the fourth sheet when she started to feel the ground beneath beginning to quake, indicating that Cyc was near.

Cassy quickened the pace, scanning the sheets at warp speed, going over each of them faster than a polecat going up a tree.

She just barely finished the last sheet when she heard the door at the end of the hall open. Dropping the translator on the side, she stuffed the sheets and the ruby back into the plastic bag, and tossed the bag back into the chest, slamming it shut.

Cyc came through into the study, just as Cassy snatched up the translator, and stuffed it up through the front of her shirt.

"Sorry for keeping you so long," Cyc said cheerfully, handing her a glass goblet that was the size of a small barrel. "Sorry also for the glass, but it's the smallest we've got," he said apologetically.

"It's okay," Cassy replied, looking down.

"Say, what's up?" he asked her curiously. She had seemed fine when he had left, but now she looked downright depressed. "You okay?"

Cassy gave him a half-smile. "Sure!" she said convincingly. "Just… Just a bit queasy."

Cyc nodded, still not looking too convinced. "Have you had your results back from the docs yet?" he asked.

Cassy shook her head. "I should be hearing from them this afternoon." She told him. "Manty was most insistent that they get back to me ASAP. It's been driving me nuts, not knowing all day. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't keep busy and…"she paused suddenly.

"What is it?" Cyc questioned her, as he took a big gulp from his own goblet, which was twice the size of a full-length barrel.

"Oh crikey!" Cassy suddenly shrieked. "What time is it?!"

Cyc glanced at the overhead clock. "Nearly 10:30," he answered helpfully. "Now what were you saying about…"

Cassy took a quick sip from her drink, and then ran out to the front door.

"Hey!" Cyc called out. "What's up? My drink-making isn't as bad as all that…is it?"

"Sorry, Cyc," Cassy hurriedly said. "But I promised Taurus I'd meet him for lunch. I gotta get home and get ready, otherwise I'll be late."

"Taurus, huh?" a large grin appeared over Cyc's face. "Ah, let me guess? He's called you out to make a _proposal_?"

Cassy snorted. "Please! The guy's old enough to be my dad. And it's not that kind of proposal. "

Cyc laughed. "Now you're over-reacting!" he assured her. "Taurus is only about ten to fifteen years older than you. Besides, I always figured he liked you the best. You're certainly the only civilian he ever gives a smile to."

Cassy waved him off. "He's just being polite," she insisted.

"Yeah, and only to you," Cyc pointed out.

Cassy frowned. She had suspected something last night when Taurus had first asked her out, but she never thought for a moment about it seriously.

"Oh, you're being stupid, even more than usual!" she stated. "I gotta go! Now open this stupid door!"

Cyc rolled his eye upward, and flicked the switch, activating the door-locking system. "See you round, Cass," he said, saying his goodbye.

Cassy waved behind her, not even bothering to look at him.

"Oh, and Cass!" Cyc suddenly called out again. "One thing…"

Cassy turned back to look at him.

"You might wanna think about doing some shopping this week?" Cyc smirked. "Cos it looks like your chest has really filled out in the last couple of days?"

Cassy grabbed her chest, and Cyc laughed. However, for some reason, Cassy didn't have a retort for him like she usually did, and instead just ran off as fast as her legs could carry her.

Cyc stared after her. Cassy had never been one to let him get away with saying something like that to her?

Cyc thought about it for a while, but then just shrugged. There was a first time for everything, he should not let it get to him. She had said that she was in a hurry, and just put it off to that.

"Let's hope Taurus shows her a good time today," he said out loud, smirking. "In more ways than one."

From lower down the street, where she had run down, Cassy stopped running, hugging her chest as though in pain.

She stood still for a few moments, wondering what she was doing, until she finally lifted the bottom of her shirt and pulled out the translator.

"What…did I just do?" she asked herself. She hadn't needed to get home for ages yet, to get ready for her lunch-date with Taurus, but she had needed an excuse to get out of there. The translator had felt like it was going to slip out of her shirt any minute.

She looked down at the translator, wondering just what had possessed her to take it? She had never stolen before, let alone from her best friends?

Cassy was beginning to feel ill. She didn't know what to do? Should she go and take it back, tell Cyc the truth? But how could she? How could she look him in the eye and tell him that she had gone through and stolen something from his father, in his own home, while she was a guest there?

The translator was starting to feel like it was getting heavier. She stayed standing there for what seemed like ages, before people starting to stare at her. She finally decided that there was nothing she could do now, so she made her way home.

"Maybe Cyc's family won't notice it's gone?" she said hopefully. She just hoped she was right.

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Cassy was first tempted to sneak down alleyways, but soon felt that that was too suspicious, especially since most of the New Olympians were looking at her distrustfully enough as it was, and her chances of being caught with the stolen translator (and the suspicion it was stolen) were high. She settled for walking "with" the New Olympian citizens, albeit a few feet away, and pressed against the store fronts and walls.

None of the citizens bothered her, a few of the friendlier ones said hi to her, startling her. They shook off her reactions as trauma, and gave her a sympathetic expression, if not a shake of the head as she shrunk up, keeping the translator from falling out of her shirt.

She made it down the street with practical ease, though it felt like forever. She came to a four way, when she heard loud, riotous laughing. Down the street before her she saw the familiar green hulk of Brontes, straddled by two shapely female Minotaurs on his shoulders, with their arms around his neck, and his hands around their shoulders. He was heading towards home, and would be walking straight past her. She knew he could not avoid greeting her…or picking her up. Maybe he wouldn't know that the translator came from his house, but Cyc would undeniably tell him about Cassy visiting, and it would all come together.

Sneaking behind a Centaur, for extra insurance, Cassy then bolted into an alleyway like she was being shot at. Cassy turned just to see Brontes' foot set down on the concrete, followed by another laugh, and they were gone. With a thump, Cassy struck someone as her head was turned towards the street.

"Miss Williams!" Taurus said, falling back slightly, a hanger with a brown zip up bag in his one hand.

"Oh, Chief Taurus," Cassy said, clenching her chest…but not the translator. The translator was snug against the flesh of her stomach, and then the heaviness of it was gone, deftly sliding down her between her thighs. The translator was born to the ground with a thunk and startled cry from her.

Taurus immediately jumped, perhaps it was the suddenness or perhaps it was the expression of Cassy's face, the mix of shock, fear, and guilt. Taurus gathered his senses before Cassandra. Cautiously he kneeled down and gently picked up the translator in one hand. He looked up at Cassy, confused.

"Miss Williams, it's…it's a translator," Taurus said.

"Ah, yeah," Cassy said, standing up hurriedly, while Taurus stood up with one eyebrow cocked.

"It's for class," Cassy said, looking at her feet shyly.

"Oh," Taurus said, handing it back gently to her. "Did you have go to school to get it?"

"Yes," Cassy said, taking the translator, and tucking it underneath her arm.

"Miss Williams, you did not have to go to school just to pick the instrument up, you could have at least called me. I would have picked it up and brought it to you prior to our engagement, which may I ask, in your current condition, do you wish to cancel it?" Taurus asked in a tone that came the closest for him in saying he was worried and cared; a mixture of scolding and very large words.

Cassy paused momentarily, as Taurus just watched her.

"No, no, it's not off, Taurus, and thanks. I probably should have called you," Cassy said.

"Would you like me to take you home?" Taurus offered.

"No thanks, Taurus. I'd rather walk. It's good for you, as Manty would say," Cassy said turning towards the street.

"Miss Williams, are you sure you do not want a ride? My hoverbike is parked nearby," Taurus asked.

"No, no. I'm fine! I have to get home and pick out an outfit! See you later!" Cassy exclaimed, waving to him frantically. "Bye!"

Taurus stood there. He looked at his parcel of freshly laundered clothes. A dark liquid from the city streets seeped upwards through the fabric. He sighed, his arms falling limp.

"And I guess I will have to also, Miss Williams."

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The walk home was quick and uneventful. Cassy was tempted, very tempted to take the translator out and read it on the way home. But better judgment spoke otherwise, and Cassy did not feel safe until she was in her room with the door shut and double locked.

She lay on the bed, the translator in hands and began to read.

_I have started these notes as a means of venting my rage, and seeing to it that my story does not go untold. I am but one of the many women held captive by these one-eyed beasts that hold us against our will. Many have already died by the beasts' will. Their stories have already been forgotten; they have already been forgotten, just the trampled nameless. The Cyclops, for that is the beast's kind's name, believes them to have fulfilled their role and that nothing more need be said of them. But I will not stand by and watch myself be forgotten! _

Time passed and Cassy was lost in the pages, chewing softly on her lips as her eyes hungrily took in every line, every word. Faster…and faster…and faster…Cassy's lips trembled as she read on at breakneck speed…

"Hello Chief Taurus, I'm surprise to see you out and about," a voice spoke, just barely audible.

_Oh no…_

Cassy quickly rolled out of bed, so fast that she did not hear Taurus's response. She placed the translator into her nightstand draw, slamming it shut, and quickly bolted to her closet as if she was being shot at. She flung clothing out of the closet, thoroughly covering her bed. She finally settled on a turquoise sundress, a piece she had only worn a few times, with any luck when Taurus was not present. She pulled a pair of sandals from her closet, quickly slid them on just as someone began knocking on her bedroom door.

Cassy tumbled towards her door and spent several moments fiddling aggressively with the locks to her door. The door was knocked a few more times, until finally the locks jiggled open and Cassy tumbled out of her room.

"Cassy," Manty began. "What have…"

She rushed down the hallway. "Sorry, got no time. See you later!" she said urgently, leaving a stunned Manty behind her.

Almost to the door, she slid on the rug, landing flat on her behind and slid into the door, rattling it.

Cassy quickly braced herself, all the while fixing her dress, and opened the door.

"Hi, Taurus," she said in a voice of mixed emotions through closed teeth. Taurus cocked an eyebrow and strolled in. In one hand he tightly held, perhaps too tightly, a massive bouquet of moon lilies, one of the more beautiful genetically engineered plants.

Taurus seemed nervous, as he looked around the apartment. The grip on the flowers tightened, threatening to break their fragile stems. The image of Taurus, carrying the oversized bouquet, seemed almost improbable in Cassy's mind, but here he was, in entryway of Manty's apartment, with the flowers for her. She could only imagine just how nerve wracking and uncomfortable it was for Taurus to get and carry the flowers around. He probably received more weird looks than she did on any given day.

"Good afternoon, Miss Williams. Our appointment will continue as planned?" Taurus asked, putting his arms behind his back, still holding the flowers.

"Yes, Taurus," Cassy answered. There was an awkward silence.

"Oh, these are…for you…a friend suggested it…I hope you like them, they are lavender tinged moon lilies… They are only available for picking twice a year… That is what the florist said," Taurus said, scratching behind his head, offering her the slightly battered flowers.

"Thank you Taurus, they're very beautiful," Cassy said, taking the flowers from him, handling them much gentler than he did. Still, most of the flowers in the bouquet had been bruised and had bent stems and tattered leaves. Cassy went to the kitchen and placed the flowers into a vase. Upon looking into a mirror, Cassy realized, with horror, how messed up her hair appeared. She fixed it as best she could, pushing a few loose strands behind her ears and walked back to the entryway.

Taurus waited patiently, his arms behind his back, looking up at the ceiling. He smiled nervously at Cassy.

"Are you ready to go, Taurus?" Cassy asked.

"Just one more thing," Taurus stated and from his belt, he removed another moon lily, much more dazzling than the others, and it took a moment for Cassy to realize it was synthetic. Taurus stated, "My friend also advised that I should get something that lasts longer than just a bouquet."

Taurus pushed a few loose strands of Cassy's hair behind her ear and placed the flower behind her ear.

"There, that is much better," Taurus said.

Cassy's face at this point was very red, even redder than being under the barrage of the Cyclops' comments.

"Um….are…we…ready to go?" Cassy stuttered out.

"Uh…yes," Taurus stated.

"Okay, let's go!" Cassy said, and quickly pulling herself from his grasp bolted out the door. Taurus sauntered behind her.

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In the human world, the word _Diner_ generates images of large school bus sized boxes with waitresses in matching pastel outfits and aprons and down home, heavy meals. The word took a completely new meaning in the New Olympian terminology, as the Unicorn Diner was a grandiose building, an ode to old Greek architecture and art form with the advantage of New Olympian technology.

Taurus handed his hovercraft over to the valet, who wore a look of complete shock on his face when first seeing Cassy, and the moment when both Taurus and Cassy passed the valet, he glared at them angrily and mumbled something under his breath about restaurant safety regulations and vermin, only to be quailed into submission by a soul shredding glare from Taurus.

Taurus offered Cassandra his arm, which she involuntarily took, staring straight ahead.

Realization came to Cassy. It was hard enough walking around New Olympus as the only human being…but walking with the eminent Chief Taurus…she was going to stick out worse than a hamburger in a sushi bar. She and Taurus were going to get plenty weird stares and comments through lunch.

"Are you feeling all right, Miss Williams? Your fingers are starting to hurt," Taurus whispered to her, as the hostess led them to a table, in the corner, giving them a perfect view of a beautiful sculpture of what appeared to be a fully intact Parthenon with a running fountain and miniature olive tree, yet keeping them, more importantly her, out of the sight of other dining patrons.

"I can see why Cyc likes to bring girls here," Cassy stated, looking around. "It's beautiful."

"I'm the oldest person in here," Taurus sadly remarked leaning over the table and covering his face, obviously embarrassed.

Cassy was half attempted to say _you're not that old…are you_, to make him feel better, and fulfill her own curiosity. A waitress, a blond hind, thankfully ended the awkward silence with menus for the couple. She was eager to meet and dote Taurus, even if that meant being in the perimeter of the human and doting on her (though not as eagerly or sweetly).

"What would you like to order, Chief Taurus?" she asked sweetly, completely ignoring Cassandra.

Cassy could read her like a book. _You're just acting nicely to Taurus so that he completely overlooks the fact you are treating me like crap, Bambi. _

Taurus read the hind's nametag. "Yes, Thessaly, Miss Cassandra Williams and I would like a pikilia for an appetizer, please do not scrounge on the stuffed grapes leaves. For the main course, the two of us would like to have stuffed codfish with a side of sautéed flying Pegasus's in a lemon garlic sauce. For the desert we both would like a vineberry galaktoboureko. To drink I would like a tsipouro, and Miss Williams would like an Ambrosia. Is that okay, Cassy?"

Cassy nodded, slightly startled. Thessaly was a little taken back, but disappeared quickly.

"You didn't have to order for me Taurus. I can take care of myself," Cassy said.

"Miss Williams, I am very aware that you can take care of yourself," Taurus stated, looking off into the distance. "But can you take care of yourself and a child? You are very independent, Miss Williams, very brave, headstrong, and strong, but even the strongest of us needs someone to lean on…someone for support."

"And you're suggesting yourself, right?" Cassy said, not being serious.

"Well, of course, Miss Williams," Taurus stated, making Cassy look up in total shock. He took her hand in his own. "Miss Williams, I feel it is my duty to protect you and your child, to be there for the two of you. Look, Cassy, I feel responsible for what has happened to you, and I need to repay you. I want to help you as much as possible. To be there for you…always."

Cassy felt her face suddenly burn, like she was suddenly turning into Helios. One more second and the heat from the blush was going to set her hair on fire.

"I…" Cassy began hesitantly, unsure of what to say. When Cyc and Orin had asked her this, she had been more inclined in thinking up excuses. But with Taurus, she was finding it hard to breathe and think.

'Three marriage proposals in two days,' she thought. 'What are the odds? I don't know whether to be honored or insulted.'

"Ahem," Thessaly said, as she held a massive platter in one hand. Taurus quickly took his hands away, and Cassy pulled away and hid her hands under the table.

Thessaly quickly read out the order, albeit gruffly, set the platter down and left.

"She shouldn't be bothering us for a while," Taurus said, obviously pleased.

"But that doesn't mean she won't be glaring over her shoulder at us every chance she has," Cassy stated, grateful for the distraction.

"Would you like it if she was just glaring at you?" Taurus brought up, as he took a drink.

"Thanks then, Taurus," Cassy said, patting him on the hand, "for taking one for the team."

Taurus gave her a smile, somewhat different than his typical smiles. This one seemed to be actually happy, and seemed to speak of something beyond happiness. Cyc's comment echoed through her skull, and Cassy jolted slightly.

"Miss Williams, is something bothering you again?" Taurus asked.

"That was just a chill, Taurus," Cassy answered. So far, Taurus hadn't asked her what her response was to his proposal, which was good… because she didn't have a clue what to say?

"Taurus," she began hesitantly. "I'm not sure…that is…would you mind telling how old you are?"

Taurus blinked. "Umm, yes, if you wish. I'm 27 years old."

"Uh huh," Cassy replied. "Umm, you don't think it will be… perhaps a little too weird if you and I were to get married? I mean you are a lot older than me. Don't you think that'll make people stare?"

Taurus shrugged. "No more than me being married to a human will."

Cassy had to admit he was right there.

"And as for the age difference," Taurus continued. "Many people marry those of a different generation. My own father was at least twice my mother's age when they wed."

Cassy had forgotten that the Olympians still had some of the same views from over 2000 years ago. Back then, marriage between different generations was not uncommon

"Look, Cassy," Taurus told her calmly. "I know I'm probably not the ideal match for you. Gods know, out of all the women on New Olympus, I never expected that the Fates would join em to you of all people." He looked at her seriously. "But I can promise you that I will look after you, Cassandra. I vow to give you and your baby all the support and attention that you will need."

Cassy gave him a small smile. She had heard all this before from Cyc and Orin. But the more she thought about it, the more she knew that married life would not be the same with Taurus as she had dreamt about with Cyc. She didn't think for one second that Taurus would be the mad party type. The mere thought of that was like trying to imagine Echidna the Gorgon of being a supporter of Human rights… downright impossible.

Cassy felt weird. She couldn't believe it, but she found herself actually seriously considering Taurus's proposal. Like with Cyc, she imagined what kind of a role model and father Taurus would make to her baby, and a husband to her?

Taurus was strict, but fair, honorable and courageous, and as chief of security he would be excellent in teaching her child in the differences between right and wrong, but as a husband…?

Cassy had once had a huge crush on Taurus, and probably still did. She still had fantasies about the day when she had first gone to the adult section of the city baths, and had met him there, proceeding to bathe him and have him bathe her.

Cassy blushed.

As she looked at him, she saw him wear the usual face of grim determination that he always carried with him. She wondered if he would wear that face even when she was married to him? She didn't doubt that there was more to Chief Taurus than simple duty, and ensuring safety and security for the people of New Olympus.

Along with the grim face, there was also something else… a look in his eyes that told Cassy that maybe there was more to his request than simply to help her. Maybe, just maybe, he was also doing it for himself. She knew Taurus had had it hard when the shapeshifter Proteus had murdered his father, and as such he had since sealed himself away from the rest of the island, focusing himself on his work and nothing else. Taurus was probably happy in his life, but she wondered if perhaps he was craving for something more?

'Like a family?' she thought. 'Or at the very least friendship?'

She imagined being married to him, the Minotaur who had captured her heart. She imagined living together with him, him protecting her and her child, giving stern talk-to's to her child, and maybe someday she would be able to melt that frosty heart of his, and get him to open up to her.

"Cassy?" Taurus looked at her concerned. "Will you consider being my wife?"

Cassy smiled lightly. At least he had not just assumed she would accept, like Cyc and Orin had done. But then she looked at him seriously…

"I have to think about this, Taurus," she told him honestly. "This is such a big decision, and I can't make it too lightly."

Taurus nodded. "I realize that," he said understandingly. "Please, take all the time you want, and get back to me when you have made your choice."

Cassy smiled gratefully at him.

"Now then," Taurus said, clapping his hands together. "What say you and I get down to lunch?"

Cassy laughed, her stomach agreeing totally.

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**Cyan's Apartment: **

Cyan had the whole day helping out at the Beauty Parlor, clipping Harpy's claw-nails, brushing their feathers, and restraining herself from killing an overweight Griffin with a tendency to shout orders.

"If I ever see one more feather or claw, it'll be too soon!" she cursed lowly, as she made her way to the kitchen to grab something soft and cold to drink. Her parents were not yet home, so she had the place to herself still.

Just then, the chime on her telecom activated, indicating a call. Cyan growled viciously, and stomped up to the viewscreen, doing her best to calm down before answering.

She took a few deep breaths, calming herself, and then answered the telecom.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"Hey, babe!" Cyc's enormous eye and arrogant grin filled the viewscreen. "What's shaking…besides your tail?"

"Cyc!" Cyan swore, loosing her cool. "What in Hades do you want?!"

"Whoa, chill out, horse-girl!" Cyc replied. "No need to get your tail up in a knot."

Cyan sighed. "Sorry, but I am not in the mood right now. I just spent several hours getting my ear chewed out by the bitch Griffin, and listening to several customers complain about the service."

"I thought you were quitting the Beauty Parlor?" Cyc asked.

Cyan shrugged. "My financial status got in the way," she answered. "So what's the deal? Aren't you supposed to be at work by the way?"

Cyc shrugged. "I quit," he said simply.

Cyan's eyes bulged. "What?!" she said astounded. "How could you quit? You were only at the place for…"

"The place got boring," Cyc waved his hand at her. "No appreciation for my talents."

"Or your body, I'm guessing," Cyan murmured. "SO what are you going to do now? Sit on your duff and live off your daddy?"

Cyc puffed out his chest. "I don't live off of nobody," he assured her. "As a matter of fact, I was just calling to get you and Cassy down to the River Styx tonight, 10PM."

"Cyc, we're not allowed in after…" Cyan began, but Cyc was quick to the punch.

"Already been taken of," he said, grinning. "Remember that gig me and Orin started together? Well, some of the usual entertainment got sick or something, and had to cancel. So we're gonna be performing tonight, Orin and me. You gonna be there?"

Cyan shrugged, as she didn't have anything planned for tonight, and she was curious as to what this gig that Cyc and Orin were performing was?

"Sure," she replied. "But I'll have to ask Cassy first. I mean, what with everything that's happened to her lately, I doubt she'll be in the party mood."

"Don't worry," Cyc grinned. "I have a feeling she's gonna be celebrating tonight."

"What do you mean?"

Cyc never lost his grin. "Let's just say, I think today is gonna be her day… I gotta go. Get to the Styx around 0945PM. I'll get the bouncer at the door to let you in."

"Okay, Cyc," Cyan agreed. "But by the way, what's the…"she didn't get to finish, as Cyc had already disconnected the call.

Cyan swore. "Oh well, guess I'll have to wait until tonight to see what their show's gonna be." She couldn't help wondering just what kind of show Cyc and Orin were going to perform, as neither of them had any theatre or artistic talent?

"Gods, I hope they don't try performing poetry," she prayed.

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Cassy and Taurus laughed, as they made their way back to Cassy's apartment building. Despite it being broad daylight, and only about 4 in the afternoon, Taurus had insisted on walking Cassy home. He claimed it was only what any true gentleman would do, and he wanted to make sure that nothing more would happen to her.

They had lost track of time while talking, and before they knew it, the waiters were getting ready to display the dinner menu.

As they reached Cassy's block, Cassy turned to Taurus, smiling at him.

"Thanks for the walk, Taurus," she said gratefully. "But I think I can take it from here."

Taurus gave a small nod, his face still wearing the same grim look. He had only lost that look about a total of 4 times today, which was a record for him. "Have you thought anymore about my proposal?" he suddenly asked.

Cassy sighed. She had been thankful that he hadn't brought that subject back up again all afternoon. She was still trying to figure out what decision she was trying to make… Accept Taurus's proposal or not, or whether or not to try talking herself out of it? She didn't trust her own judgment at that moment.

She knew for certain that if she did accept, then she had every confidence that Taurus would make a fine husband and father. He was loyal, dedicated, fair and responsible… basically all the things that Orin and Cyc weren't, which was a definite plus for him.

But she also knew that what he was doing wasn't for love. Taurus had always shown a certain fondness for her, Cassy knew, and she had always had a crush on him, but… love? She knew there was none of that. She did hold feelings of affection for him, and was quite positive that the more time she spent with Taurus, the stronger those feelings for him would grow. But as for Taurus…his feelings, she believed, were more like the kind he would have for a younger sister.

"I still need some time," she finally said. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Taurus? I just don't want to rush things."

"I understand perfectly," Taurus assured her, raising his hand. "And I most praise you for your maturity, Cassandra. Not many young people your age would take the time to consider your options carefully."

Cassy smiled nervously. Besides Taurus's proposal, Cassy's mind had also been on that damn diary that she had stolen from Cyc's house. She only hoped that Cyc and Brontes would never notice it missing. The book didn't look as though it had seen the light of day for years, but for all she knew, tomorrow might be the one day when one of them decided to get it out.

"Well, thanks again for lunch," Cassy said, as she went to kiss him goodbye. She stood on her toes, stretching herself fully, and even then Taurus had to lower his head down to hers.

'At least he's not over 15 feet tall,' she thought positively, thinking of Cyc.

Taurus kissed Cassy farewell. He didn't want to rush anything, or seem pushy, so he kissed her merely on the cheek. "I will see you soon?" he asked.

Cassy nodded. "When I have an answer for you, I promise I'll call straight away," she promised.

Taurus nodded, accepting her reply, and waved her goodbye, as she made her way in.

Taurus sighed, wondering what he should do now. He knew he should just back away and allow her the time she needed to make her decision. Still, he couldn't help wondering about the kind of pressure she must be under right now. He doubted that any of her classmates were offering her support, as most likely only Cyc and Cyan were trying to help her.

As Taurus thought more about it, he decided that since there wasn't anymore he could do about the whole proposal thing, the least he could do was try and take her mind off her problems. This baby so far was making her whole life look bleak, so maybe he should try and liven it up a bit.

Taurus blinked. Who would have thought he, of all Olympians, would try to liven 'anything' up.

Having decided, he immediately started making his way over to one of New Olympus's more exquisite baby stores.

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Once Cassy was in her apartment, she leaned against the door, as her legs could not hold her up. They felt so weak, and her heart was beating loudly against her ribcage. She watched Taurus leave from one of the windows, and remained there watching until she caught just a glance of him, and was taken about just how close he was moments earlier, and now how far away he appeared.

Cassy kicked off her shoes, and tossed her purse on a table. She walked through the apartment, scratching at her hair, the lily in one hand, trying to shake the variety of feelings and the general rush of adrenaline in her system.

She finally had some of the feeling shaken off, as she went to her room. She changed out the dress, figuring the smell of food…more specifically the smell of Taurus…was the cause of her giddiness. She changed and put the lily hairpiece into the drawer of her nightstand, then dug through the mountain of clothes on her bed for the translator. Cassy leaned back on her pillows, and propped her feet up on the clothing pile. Then the phone rang, and once again, the adrenaline was coursing through her veins again.

"Hello?" she asked nervously.

"Hey, babe! I just saw someone a couple of hours after you left, with a giant bouquet, and I figured I might as well give you a call and see how the date went," Cyc said joyfully, nearly busting Cassy's eardrum.

"It…it went…. well," she stuttered, feeling another surge…as she sat on her bed with a phone to Cyc in one hand, and the stolen translator in the other.

"Oh ho!" he chuckled.

"Cyc," Cassy whispered hoarsely into the phone.

"Yes?"

"I'm a little busy right now, I can't talk," Cassy said.

An even deeper "OH HO!" followed.

"I'll let you go then, let you go so you can go back to your business," Cyc chuckled.

"Yeah Cyc, thanks for calling," Cassy answered dryly. She hung up the phone. With a deep sigh, she returned to her reading.

_Eventually, we arrived at his stronghold, his home, although it is more like a prison, not just to us, but also to him and his brethren. I hear them arguing almost continuously about not being able to go anywhere, about being trapped in this oversized tomb. _

Thirty minutes later…

The phone rang again, and scaring Cassy out of her state of deep thought. She succeeded however in dropping the translator, and knocking down a lamp when she nearly jumped out of her skin. She picked up the aggressively ringing phone. That particular ring tone could only be one person, Manty. Her mouth grew dry.

"Hel…hell…hello?" Cassy whispered into the phone.

"Cassy? We have the results back," Manty said. His voice sounded stressed. "It took us a while, hunting for the hormone, since it is fairly early in development."

"And?" Cassy asked.

"The hormone was not present, but since it is possible that humans have a different physiology than New Olympians, we compared your more recent samples with samples from the past…before…before, we just needed to make sure you have the same hormones as you did a while ago. Any new ones would indicate pregnancy… Oh thank the Gods Cassy, you're not pregnant," Manty spoke, his voice breaking as he spoke.

There was only so much a body can take, and Cassy fell to her knees. Manty cried on the other line, and she cried on the floor. It was relief for the two of them, no, relief for many. Many new problems were going to arise, but they were only miniscule to the one now gone.

Finally the atmosphere died down, Manty talked to her for a bit longer, about what they were going to do this weekend, then next weekend, and the weekend after that, and then for vacation. Relief brought her silence, while relief brought him vigor. Cassy listened to Manty for the better part of an hour, her mind concentrating on, but not fretting over, a much brighter future. She heard his assistants call for him in the background at odd intervals until finally, unwillingly, Manty had to hang up.

Cassy sat on the floor longer, holding onto the phone, feeling the most grateful she had ever felt in her entire life.

The phone rang again.

"Hello?" Cassy asked, her tone happy and relieved.

"So how was he?"

"WHAT…CYC!" Cassy exclaimed. "Where's your mind?"

"Um…same place it's always been, Sweetheart," Cyc chuckled. "So…"

"I'm not pregnant," Cassy stated, turning the conversation into another direction.

"What?! That's great!" Cyc exclaimed. He pouted slightly, "You know, I was kinda hoping to marry you and play Daddy."

"Thanks, Cyc," Cassy said. "I'm really glad you've always been there for me."

"Always will be," he stated proudly. "You know what this means?"

"I won't get bothered every hour with phone calls from guys?" she asked.

"I wouldn't say that, Cass," Cyc said. "It just means I can switch to another strategy to woo your heart! I can work to full efficiency now that I don't have to worry about a baby! Oh yeah!"

Cassy groaned.

"Oh by the way," Cyc suddenly asked. "Has Cyan called you yet?"

"No, why?" Cassy asked curiously.

"Brill!" Cyc grinned. "After news like this, there's only one thing to do… _Celebrate_!!!"

"Err, Cyc?" Cassy said nervously. "I'm not exactly in the mood for… "

"The club where me and Orin were going to do our debut," Cyc continued, as though not hearing her. "They've had a cancellation tonight, so that means we're gonna be performing early. What better way to celebrate than for you and Cyan to come see me and my cous take on the stage-world?!"

Cassy paused, unsure of what to say. "Cyc, I'm not sure if… " she hesitated, staring down at the journal.

"Aw, come on!" Cyc insisted. "Orin and me will both be crushed if you don't come… And so will you be if you don't." he added playfully.

Cassy was still staring down at the Journal, trying to work up the courage to tell her friend of her theft, but instead all that came out was… "Okay," she breathed.

"You'll come?" Cyc asked excited.

Cassy sighed, "Yes."

"J-normous!" Cyc cried out, using a word that was most popular among the Cyclops teens. "I'll call Cyan, get her to meet you at your place and bring you to the River Styx! Me and Orin will see you at about 10."

"A little late isn't…" Cassy was going to ask, but Cyc had already hung up. "…It?" she finished.

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About an hour later, Cassy was in the middle of choosing some new attire. She wondered what kind of scene the Styx was at night, as she had never been there at the time that Cyc was requesting her and Cyan to be there at?

Manty was absent that night, as he had been called into surgery shortly after he had contacted her with her results. He had contacted her a few minutes after Cyc, informing her he would be late.

She still had a few hours, but she didn't want to take any risks this time, considering what had happened the last time she was planning to go out. She didn't want to risk taking another nap, wake up late, and end up going out looking like she had just come out of a war zone.

Besides, knowing Cyan, her friend would probably arrive an hour or two early, to talk, like she usually did. And Cassy was all too eager for some girl chat. Ever since her violation, Cassy and Cyan had barely spent any time together, in fact they had almost completely separated.

Cassy combed out her hair, as she inspected the five outfits she had displayed on her bed, wondering which one was more suitable. As she did so, the door chime sounded, and Cassy smiled.

"I knew it," she said out-loud, and went to the front door. "She's like clockwork." She activated the door, opening it. "Hey, girlfriend," she greeted what she thought was her friend happily. "You're a bit earlier than…" She stopped, her face frozen in a mask of red hot embarrassment, as Taurus stood before her.

Taurus blinked before her. "Well, I know it's customary for couples to have pet-names for one another," he said. "Though I would prefer it if you wouldn't refer to me as 'girlfriend'… at least not in public."

Cassy blushed, but couldn't resist smiling. "Sorry, Taurus," she laughed. "I thought you were Cyan."

Taurus gave a small smile of his own. "Yes, I'm sure it is an obvious mistake to make," he said, raising his hand over his face, but keeping his other hand behind him. "Although I would suggest not telling your friend about it. As I doubt she would appreciate having her face being assumed for a Minotaurs?"

Cassy giggled. "Would you like to come in?"

"No, thank you," Taurus looked nervous about something.

'Ohhh lord,' Cassy thought dismayed. 'He must have come to see if I have made my decision.' She thought that was a little insensitive of him, considering he had told her just a short time ago that she could take all the time she needed to make her decision, and then come back over an hour later. But then again, Taurus was a highly efficient officer of the law, so maybe he just wasn't used to dealing with problems of this nature.

"Cassy," Taurus began hesitantly. "I wanted to…"

"It's okay," Cassy halted him. "You don't have to say anything."

"I don't?" Taurus looked curiously at her.

Cassy sighed. Unlike the time when she had decided about Cyc's proposal, this time she was severely disappointed about what she was about to say. "Taurus, you should know something," she said calmly. "I have decided not to marry you."

Taurus looked at her a little shocked, but he quickly covered it up. "Have you…" he began.

"Oh, but it's nothing to do with you or anything," she quickly said. "Only I just heard from Manty a while ago, with my results from the doctors. It turns out, I'm not pregnant."

Taurus eyes looked ready to pop right out of their sockets. "You are…you're certain?"

Cassy looked on him in pity. 'Poor guy,' she thought. 'He must have been so looking forward to playing husband and daddy.' She had to admit that she had really been looking to playing wife to him also.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I realize this must as a bit of a blow…"

"No, no," Taurus hastily assured her. "This is wonderful news. I'm sure you must be terribly relieved. It I just…I'm just surprised, that's all."

Cassy smiled at him. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I didn't call to let you know, but what with everything that's happened lately, things got a little crazy, and it just slipped my mind."

"I understand completely," Taurus raised his hand to assure her, but still didn't raise his other hand from behind his back.

Cassy looked at him curiously. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Taurus smiled quickly, but backed away a short step at a time. "I was wondering, what were you doing tonight? Now that you are… a free woman, I suppose is the correct term?"

Cassy shrugged. "Cyc has conned me and Cyan into going to see him and his cousin Orin do some sort of gig at the River Styx tonight."

Taurus blinked shortly. "At this time of night? Do you know what the River Styx is after…"

"What you got there?" Cassy asked him suddenly, pointing behind his back, wondering what he was hiding.

Taurus hastily retreated. "It's nothing!" he said assuredly, and quickly. "Just some things I got for my apartment. I really have to be going, so maybe we'll talk some other time. I'm really happy for your news, Miss Williams. Goodbye!"

With that, he practically ran down the corridor, as he hurried over to the elevator. Cassy watched him go for a few seconds, wondering what the Hell that was all about?

As Taurus rushed into the elevator, praising the Gods that his people had been clever enough to construct fast moving elevators, he kept his other hand out of Cassy's sight until he was safely inside the elevator.

He breathed deeply, thanking the Almighty for sparing him this humiliation.

"Now," he began. "If only they could have found a way to spare me some extra credit," he said grimly, looking down at the bag of items in his other hand, which were… a baby blanket, a rattle, diapers, a book, and assorted others that he had bought from the baby store. A very highly rated baby store, I might add, with very expensive, and totally _un-refundable_, products.

Taurus groaned.

Cassy had meanwhile returned inside, she looked out of the window. The sun had just set.

_'Oh, I nearly forgot! She surely wants to hear these news too!' _she remembered, and went to the phone.

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**Mt. Thanatos:**

"Yawn Nothing is better than a good day's sleep," Sphinx told herself, while walking into the common room.

Life had returned to it's usual, boring pace after Cassy's parting. It was the usual routine that they did for years now. The only interesting thing was that gathering which would happen in five days.

_'I wonder what could be so important for us to attend?' _she wondered. Boreas had been awfully vague to her, but it seemed very important, as she had never before seen him this distressed.

She for her part, despite her seriousness concerning the clan, wished for something to happen. Life felt really boring if nothing happened, and only became worse with the lack of any kind of love life. She quickly suppressed the feeling of emptiness before it affected her mood. Thinking about the lack of any kind of romance was a sure way to become depressed. And the night was too young for that.

"Hey Sphinx! Your human friend is on the vid-phone! She sounds pretty excited," a male told her, walking to her side.

"I shouldn't make her wait."

Laving her rookery brother, she went to the vid-phone, to see Cassy's very relaxed features on the screen. _'This can only mean good news...' _"Hello, Cassandra. What gives me the honor of this call?"

"Oh Sphinx, it's so good the news I got, I had to tell you..." she told her friend eager. "I got the results... and thank God, I'm not pregnant. But I swear, this had been the worst week of my life...well, apart from meeting your clan, that was really great."

Sphinx felt unable to hide a small smile. For this moment she forgot her problems, and just felt happy for her friend who had been spared from such a horrible consequence of what had been done to her. "See? I told you, check it first. And I must admit, I'm relieved that you aren't forced into something like that."

"Guess how relieved I am! But I have to tell you something else..."

Sphinx gave her second a hand sign that said that he should take over for now, while she listed to what Cassy told her. Sphinx the leader wasn't available at the moment. For now she was Sphinx the friend, something she had been unable to do often since the death of their last leader, and her premature ascension to leadership, which had buried her under lots of work and responsibilities.

Being able to cast all of this off for a little time and revert back to the female who joked with her friends while they were teenagers, it felt like giving her back a spark she had thought lost deep within her.

It made her feel more alive than she had felt in the last years.

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**New Olympus Psychology Center; Around the Same Time: **

It was past sunset, the beginning of the night shift, when the head night nurse and her assistants came strolling down the dimly lit corridors. The night shift was not exactly her cup of tea, but out of necessity for the many "guests", and all the citizens of New Olympus, some of the guests had to receive their dosage of medication to ensure themselves and everyone else a good night's sleep. She swore that sometimes she felt like she worked at a fancy hotel, what with the amount and the particularity demands she was given.

Before her schedule was so "rudely" disrupted by a newer and more demanding guest, she only had to make her rounds once at 8'o'clock, again at midnight, and once again at six, and then the daytime head nurse would relieve her. Her more demanding charge needed to be sedated every three hours, with a heavy concentration of muscle relaxes, mind benders, and painkillers.

They had spent days figuring out the proper medication cocktail to give him, to keep him stable. Powerful painkillers were added to their arsenal as well, because of their side effects to leave the receiver almost blissfully dazed, off balance, and vision impaired. A guard whose arms were nearly torn off by the patient came up with the idea (after spending a week on said painkillers). Despite the power of the sedatives, they still wore off much quicker, and continuously had to be re-administered.

The patient was awake when she came into his cell. Each time she dosed him (through a particularly lengthy syringe), it was too dark for her to tell if he was awake. He was so still, even when dosed, that he did not move. There was not even the shuddering of skin or a shake, a whimper, nothing.

But now that the full moon was shining down into his cell, she could see he was awake. He could see her. He twisted his head over his shoulder, and then silently turned back to the moon. There was something unsettling about those eyes. Empty…

'Darkness and shadows likes to play mind games with us,' she thought, 'especially when coupled with the light of a full moon.'

She filled the syringe from a vial of green solution.

"So you're the one who pinches me every night," Achilles stated. "I finally get to see you."

She filled up another syringe.

"It doesn't hurt at all you know, when you stab that thing into me," he said looking back over his shoulder. "I've had flies that bit harder than that."

She filled up a third vial. Her assistants stood a good distance away. They sounded like they were mumbling to each other; it may have been only their breathing. Or even the wind outside.

She filled up a forth. She heard him chuckle, and saw just the glint of teeth. He didn't bother moving or jerking when she put the pole through the bars. He seemed to be almost preparing himself for it, bracing himself.

The pole pressed into his flesh. All four needles released the medication into his flesh. Achilles breathed out and slumped as the medicine coursed through his veins. The head nurse left. He kneeled, his mind floating, his body heavy.

He looked up at the full moon. He was getting woozy. Was it just he, or did the moon seem to shine brighter than it did moments earlier?

Achilles slumped over. Then it grew dim.

A short time later, a mouse like of the soft yellow-furred field mice variety, scurried on the floor of Achilles' cell. Its eyes and movement spoke of purpose, unlike those of the gray furred mice of the island that simply scurry about without looking. It ran across the hoof of the slumbering behemoth, then across another. Finally it stood on its hind legs, surveying its location. It scurried to the heavy chains that brought Achilles to the floor.

At the linking attached to the peg in the floor, it began to nibble at the thick metal. Easily its little incisors sliced away the metal. It darted to another peg, and moments later it darted to a third. After fifteen minutes it scurried back out the narrow crack that brought it into the cell.

000000000000000000000

**Street to Taurus' Apartment:**

Walking home after getting some fresh air to clear his head, Taurus tried to find a solution what to do with the baby stuff he had brought to 'bribe' Cassy. At the moment it was in a box resting under his bed, that was where he had stored it after the fiasco, before leaving again for some fresh air. And after Cassy had told him that she wasn't with child, he wanted to get rid of it without telling her, as it was simply too embarrassing.

But he had no idea how. No way could he bring this stuff back to the store where he had brought it. Apart from the fact that these items were un-refundable, he had got enough funny looks when he bought it, and only escaped by saying that it was a gift for a friend. Bringing it back was not only impossible, but the mere try would mean more questions, something he wanted to avoid. There was already enough gossip concerning him, so even more wasn't what he wanted.

Buying this stuff looked more and more like a stupid idea to he had.

_'Maybe I should throw it in the trash...no, bad idea.' _While it was tempting to let the box disappear into the trash, he knew his landlady. She was a curious woman, too curious when it came to his person. He had seen her once digging through his trash. So this option was out, unless he wanted to risk her finding the box, which would be even worse than returning the stuff to the shop.

Buying this stuff looked more and more like a REALLY stupid idea he had.

This left him with two options. Either he would throw this stuff into a public trash bin, at a time where no one would see him, or he would bury this stuff in the forest, to be never found again. Yes, the second option sounded best to get rid of these embarrassing items. He would wait until later in the night before he would do it. He didn't need any witnesses.

_'Good, that's how I'll do it,' _he decided, while walking up the stairs to his apartment. The house was dark and quiet. Most of the inhabitants were still out, and would only return later in the night.

He also had to prepare for tomorrow, when his duty would start again. Despite Boreas's objections, Taurus intended to go back to work, seeing as he had now fully rested, and the situation with Cassy had been resolved. And there would be much work, since word had already spread about the great gathering, and preparations were now in full swing.

The gathering preparations had disturbed the political proceedings somewhat. All politicians had cancelled their other appointments and concentrated on it, and the gathering was by now the top topic in the city.

Tomorrow everyone would receive his or her official invitation to the gathering with the mail. Everyone who hadn't followed gossip, or the media, in the last two days would know then at the latest. The only question was, how many would attend.

He for his part would be glad when the gathering starts in five days, because then this entire circus would end.

Unlocking the door, he saw Calypso feeding his fish. _'Does she know when I come home...Oh wait...of course, stupid me!' _

Taurus remembered that he had forgot to feed his pet fish today, and Calypso was a naiad, so she had obviously heard his fresh water fish complaining that he hadn't fed him. It was no big secret that naiad could communicate with water creatures, he had just never thought about it. That explained why he had found her feeding the fish at night some days ago.

Trying not to picture the scene in the baths in his mind (he didn't want to reduce her to that, still he felt that she was damn well built), he greeted her, "Hello Calypso. I guess he complained that I forgot to feed him?"

"Hello, Chief Taurus. Oh yes, he almost wailed that if I wouldn't feed him, he would have died of starvation long ago," she chirped. "Being a water naiad has it advantages... Oh, you look unhappy. Has something happened?"

As nice as she was, Taurus vowed he would never tell her about this episode. "I barely managed to not totally embarrass myself in front of my human friend."

"Oh dear... I hope it wasn't too bad," she consoled him.

"No, I managed to prevent the worst. Still, I hope I'm never again in such a situation..." Taurus thanked all gods that Cassy told him of the negative test result, before he had a chance to present her with the baby stuff. This way, he was spared the worst.

Calypso gave him a bright smile. "Oh, I wouldn't worry. Tomorrow is a new day, and your friend surely will forget this incident soon. Oh, I can't wait to meet her, she sounds very nice."

Taurus was still amazed at how addictive her good mood was, and someone would think that she always had a good mood. He knew better, since he had heard her curse in annoyance in the baths, when she had dropped her bucket. But good moods seemed to be her normal state of mind. He really wondered, what job she did. Taurus wanted to reply, but suddenly...

**G-g-g-grrrrooooowwwwl**

"It sounds like you haven't eaten anything today," Calypso remarked after hearing the loud growl from Taurus' stomach.

"I haven't had my dinner yet, no..." Taurus replied.

"Can I invite you to share mine then? I was just about to start it," Calypso asked him a little shyly.

"Oh no, I don't want to cause you any extra work," Taurus answered.

"It is no problem... It was so warm today that I lost my appetite. Now that it's started to cool off, I'm hungry. I had only planned to cook for myself, but it isn't any burden for me to cook for two. So what do you think?" she asked again, while she made big puppy eyes. "And I'm very good at cooking."

Taurus managed a smile. "Well, then I can't say no. Lead the way."

Following Calypso to her apartment, Taurus had forgotten about the box under his bed, having no thought left for it. It had been an embarrassing day, but he felt that at least it ended on a better note for him.

Testing Calypso's cooking and having nice small talk with her was definitely better than sitting alone in his apartment, eating take-out fast food and feeling depressed about today.

000000000000000000000

**Cassy's Apartment; Few Hours Later: **

The doorbell rang again. Cassy skipped over to the door, half expecting Cyan, half expecting someone else (as today seemed to be full of surprises).

"Girlfriend!" Cyan exclaimed, swinging her arms around Cassy in a very Cyc-esque moment.

"Cyan!" Cassy exclaimed with equal excitement and hugged her friend back.

"I heard the good news!" she said, finally letting her go. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "I was so worried…"

"I'm okay, I'm going to be okay, everything's okay," Cassy said, cracking a grin. "Please don't make me cry again today."

"Well fine then," Cyan said. "You're looking good!"

"So are you, horse girl!" Cassy responded. "You lookin' for a guy tonight?"

"As always," Cyan joked backed, elbowing her friend. Cassy elbowed Cyan back.

It was the good old times once again… and yet…

"Hey, you okay, two-legs?" Cyan asked her friend.

Cassy smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, trying to sound convincing.

"Cassy?" Cyan urged her. "I've known you too long to fall for that 'I'm fine' speech. What's wrong?"

Cassy sighed. "I don't know," she said, as she went over to her couch, sitting down. "Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond relieved that I'm not having a baby. It means I can get my life back on track again, but… I don't know. I just feel…empty."

"Empty?"

Cassy sat, twiddling her thumbs. "I guess I just got so used to thinking there was a baby inside of me, and now knowing that there never was one… Oh, I don't know!" Cassy flopped back onto her seat. "I was terrified of being pregnant, and now that I'm not, I actually sad that I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with me?"

Cyan patted her friend's shoulder. "Nothing by the sound of it," she said assuredly. "It's like you said… You had already gotten used to the idea of a baby, scary as it was, and you had made all these plans and everything. You were probably building up your stamina, trying to look at the positive side of having kids. Now that there's no kid, all that stamina's gone to waste."

Cassy shrugged. "Maybe," she said thoughtfully.

"Plus," Cyan said, grinning. "The disappointment of not being our resident security chief's wife might have something to do with it as well?"

Cassy blushed. "If Cyc's mouth were any bigger," she swore. "There'd be no room on New Olympus for any of us!"

Cyan laughed. "Come on, you knew the risks the moment you spoke to him. You should know better by now than to trust Cyc with a secret."

Cassy grumbled.

"Look," Cyan said positively. "Let's say we leave all your worries and troubles behind for tonight, and let's go check out Cyc and Orin's new act at the Styx? You gotta admit, it's a lot better than staying in and feeling sorry for yourself?"

Cassy sighed, nodding. "Any idea what Cyc and Orin's act is by the way?" she asked curiously. "They've mentioned the act numerous times, but have yet to tell me what it actually is. And to think…how easy it is for them to tell someone else's secret."

Cyan shrugged. "Same here. Must be keeping it hush till the big night. Anyway, we'll know what it is soon."

Cassy nodded, picking up her coat and things. "What is the Styx during the night?" she asked wondering.

Cyan shrugged. "Beats me," she replied. "Never been there any later than 8-0-clock. Might be a Gargoyle theme or something? That would certainly go with the night hours."

Cassy opened the door, stepping out. "Well, only one way to find out," she said, as Cyan followed her.

000000000000000000000

**River Styx: **

"Huh, they really pulled out the bells and whistles when they decorated this place," Cyan stated. "Something tells me this was Cyc's doing."

"Orin helped too," Cassy stated. The entire building was decorated in fake and massive tropical flowers sewn with fiber optics, which opted for lights. "This is too showy for just one Cyclops to pull off."

They found an empty table right in front of the stage. Most of the other tables were filled with patrons. This table had a sign, a large sign, proclaiming the table as Cassy and Cyan's, and threatening expulsion from the club if anyone sat down on the table.

Cyan looked out into the gathering of people. "Huh, I don't see many guys. In fact, I see a lot of girls."

"It would figure, and I thought I was special when Cyc asked me," Cassy joked.

"He asked me too," Cyan stated.

"It's required for him to ask you to come," Cassy stated.

"Not funny," Cyan stated.

"You didn't let me finish. It's a party without you, we need you to keep him in line," Cassy stated. "You know I won't handle him."

Cyan guffawed then elbowed Cassy in the side. "I spot some men! And it's not Cyc and Orin!"

"Oh thank god," Cassy said in jest. The two of them bowled over laughing.

Waiters carrying heavy trays laden with drinks weaved through the tables, passing out glasses to eager patrons and taking up orders.

A Minotaur walked passed them on his way to the bar. Boldly, Cyan grabbed hold of his sash and gave it a tug. He nearly dropped half the empty glasses on his tray, but only succeeded in toppling a few of them.

"Hey, my friend and I would like a drink," Cyan exclaimed self-consciously, lacking ninety percent of the brashness she displayed seconds earlier.

"Would you like _a drink_ to share between the two of you or two drinks, one for each of you?" he quipped back. He set the tray of glasses down on the table and removed an order tablet from his sash.

"Two please?" Cyan said, her face blushing.

"And that would be, sweetheart?" he asked.

"An Ambrosia please," Cyan stated.

He typed in Cyan's order, "And what would you like?"

"Hmm? Me?" Cassy gasped, her face turning red too.

"Yes, you," the Minotaur said with a smile.

"Ummm, ah," Cassy said.

"An Ambrosia also?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cassy said.

"All righty," the Minotaur said, jotting it down. "It may take awhile before your order's ready."

The Minotaur started to head down to the bar.

"Excuse me, ah, mister," Cassy said. The Minotaur turned.

"You can call me Orion, you know, after the constellation," the Minotaur said. "But Rion for short."

"Okay, Orion, do you know what it going on tonight?" Cassy asked.

"It's a surprise, and you girls have the best seats in the house. The boys demanded you get the best treatment possible," Rion stated smiling.

"You're joking?"

"No," Rion said.

"I hope they're not planning on doing anything stupid," Cyan said. "Or embarrassing."

"I've gotta go," Rion said. "It's getting busy tonight, and I better get your drinks now or you'll never get them."

"It was nice meeting you, Rion," Cassy said.

"It was nice meeting you also," Orion answered and headed to the bar.

"Geez, I wonder what they have planned," Cyan said.

"Mmm," Cassy responded, her eyes bulging as they watched the retreating Minotaur.

"Hey," Cyan looked at her friend curiously. "New Olympus to Cassy. What's up with you?"

"Has the island's Minotaur fashion changed much in the last day or two?" Cassy asked her.

Cyan looked at her questioningly.

Cassy pointed her finger to Rion, as he made his way to the bar. Cyan followed the direction of her friend's finger, and her eyes looked ready to pop out too.

Rion had been wearing a sash, and a sort of apron around his waist. It was like a hospital gown, with a split in the back, revealing his firm backside that was wearing nothing but one of those thin jockstraps, like a bikini.

Cyan blinked. "Geez, waiters don't get paid nearly half as much as I thought they did."

"Huh?" Cassy shook her head. "What you say?"

Cyan gave her a raised eyebrow before chuckling. "Don't tell me you've already picked someone new?"

"What do you mean?" Cassy looked confused.

Cyan chuckled. "Oh come on," she said. "You've got your eye on big hunk-O-taur over there."

"I have not!" Cassy responded, her cheeks going red.

"Oh get real," Cyan laughed. "The guy's a total hottie. Just look at those biceps, and those muscular thighs… "

"Cyan!"

Cyan just laughed again. "Don't tell me you didn't look."

Cassy just shrunk down into her seat. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'll act on it. In case you've forgotten, I don't have the best of luck with Minotaurs for dates."

Cyan lost her smile. "I'm sorry," Cyan said, apologizing. "I didn't think. But you haven't had all bad experiences with Minotaurs. What about Taurus?"

Cassy just looked all the more withdrawn.

"You're… you're not still moping after him, are you?" Cyan asked concerned.

"No, not really," Cassy shrugged. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't been looking forward to spending married life with him. But the fact is he was only marrying me out of a sense of duty. Taurus has always had this bit of obsession with taking care of me, even when I was a kid. By the time the first week of marriage was over, we'd both be miserable."

Cyan took her hand. "You've always had a big crush on him, haven't you?"

Cassy sighed, nodding her head. "Once, and yeah, I probably still do. But a crush isn't enough for marriage. When you wanna spend your whole life with someone, you just gotta know that it's the someone you love more than anything. With Taurus, I know that he's smart, has a real dedication to honor and duty, protecting the city and everything. He's a good man… Err, Minotaur. But as far as wedding bells go, I don't know all that much about him to be honest. I don't know what he likes to do on his off-hours, or if he even has any, what does he hate besides criminals…you see if I had ended up marrying him, I might as well have been going into the church with a blindfold on."

"Wedding bells, church?" Cyan looked blankly at her.

"Yeah, it's…oh, never mind," Cassy forgot that Olympian customs were different to Humans. "To dedicate your life to someone, it's not a bad idea to first know everything you can about them. And Taurus is a complete mystery to me."

"He always was," Cyan said.

Soon, Rion returned with their orders. "Sorry for the wait," he said.

Cassy couldn't help but look at his back, as he leaned forward a little to place their drinks on the table. Cassy tried to keep her face neutral, but couldn't help blushing. Where as Cyan on the other hand had her eyes firmly set on him.

Rion noticed them both looking, and if he minded then he didn't show it. He had most likely had had put up with it about a million times already from some of the other customers in the club. Some of the customers appeared even grabbier than Cyan, and it didn't appear that they wanted a drink either.

"Enjoying yourself?" Rion said playfully. He turned himself around to face each of them, so that his back was to the other, leaning over the table to speak to them. "I hope the River Styx is living up to its nighttime reputation."

"If it's to keep my blood pumping then it sure is doing that," Cyan breathed heavily, her eyes wide. While Cassy, from behind Rion, her eyes were as wide as saucers.

Rion pulled a chair up to the table. "That's pretty much what it's supposed to do. It's a place run on adrenaline, emotion, and excitement. That's what makes it so popular. My old job was classier, but this one, well it's livelier."

"What was your old job?" Cassy asked.

Rion paused, scratching behind his ear. "Bartender. I used to work at the Salmacis. It's a very small building on the other side of New Olympus. You probably never heard of it."

"No, I haven't heard of it, you Cyan?" Cassy asked. Cyan shook her head.

"So what do you do for a living?" Cyan chirped up.

"I'm taking a few classes at the college, but mostly I work here, and I do garden work for the city on the side," Orion stated.

"So that's how you stay in shape," Cyan blurted out, and Cassy thought. Their red faces spoke of their shame, while Rion offered a coy smile.

"I work out here and there at the gym," Rion stated.

"Oh really, I like working out at the gym," Cyan squeaked.

"Do you work out?" Rion asked Cassy.

"No, I get all my exercise chasing after my friends," Cassy answered. "There's no need for the gym here. I don't mean to change the topic, but what's going on here? I see a lot of people, a lot of excited people, but what are they excited about?"

Rion chuckled loudly, almost to the point of laughter. "You know what, I have to go again…I think my manager's calling me. The show's starting soon, and I have to go… help him out, you know."

Rion quickly disappeared into the throng of people and through a curtained door. Cyan and Cassy still stared at his wake.

"He was nice…" Cyan said.

"Very nice," Cassy repeated.

"I didn't hear a manager, did you?" Cyan thought.

"Yeah, I would have heard someone too," Cassy stated. "I wonder why he left in such a hurry."

"Maybe he got cold," Cyan stated. "That's a pretty sparse outfit to be wearing at night."

"Uh-oh," Cassy said, pricking up, her face burning.

"What?" Cyan asked, sipping at her drink.

Cassy took another look around the place to be sure. "Cyan," she hissed. "Take a good look, and I mean a really good look around this place, and tell me… What do you see?"

Cyan looked about the club, seeing all the waiters and customers. "Aside from all the needy grabbing going on from the waiter's clients, nothing much."

Cassy sighed. "At least for once it's not me that's in the dark," she muttered.

"Huh?"

"Okay, let me ask you a few questions," Cassy said. "First, out of all the waiters here, how many of them are girls?"

Cyan took a quick look. "Err, none of them."

"Uh huh," Cassy nodded. "And now look at what they're wearing."

Cyan didn't need to turn her head to see. "The same as that guy Rion was. What's wrong with that? It's company policy to wear a uniform if they have one."

Cassy just asked her next question. "Now tell me, how many of the customers you see here are girls?"

Cyan sighed; rolling her eyes, and took a look. This time however, when she turned her head back, she did it slowly, beginning to understand.

"All of them," she answered.

"Yeah," Cassy nodded. "Now tell me… I realize we've both been wondering this like crazy ever since Cyc first told us he was performing on the stage, but… What kind of performance do you think Cyc and his cousin could possibly do together?"

"Cassy," Cyan breathed. "You don't think Cyc would…you don't think this place is…maybe all these people here…all these women are here… those weird outfits… "

Deep earthy music began to play, a mixture of drums and odd sounding wind instruments. The curtain began to move.

"Ah no…" Cyan said.

"Oh hell no…" Cassy exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table.

"We have a special feature tonight, for your viewing pleasure, we present Orineaus and his cousin-"

"**CCCCCCYYYYYYCCCCCCC!"** Cassy and Cyan screeched in unison.

The lights dimmed down, and a shimmering of blinking colored lights started to dance across the stage.

Cyan and Cassy were afraid to do so, but they forced their heads to look up. What they saw on the stage, they first thought they were just a couple of giant ornament figurines, decorations for the stage. That is, until they started to move…

"Ohhh gods," they both moaned at the sight.

Cyc and Orin were both on the stage, bending over, with their backs to the audience. They swayed their hips from side to side, to the beat of the music, and slowly straightened up their backs. They were each wearing a sort of loincloth that was long in the front, but with a split at the back; similar to the ones the waiters were wearing.

There wasn't a single female at that point that wasn't screaming her mouth off.

The two Cyclopes shook their hips, and rotated their backsides before turning around to face the audience. The lights sparkled off their skin, which looked as if it had been oiled several hundred times.

"Hello, ladies!" they both called out to the swooning and screaming females of practically every species on the island. "Who's up for some fun tonight?!"

'_NOT US!'_ Cassy and Cyan answered in their minds.

Cassy shortly turned her head to her Centaur friend. "Propose we make a hasty retreat and get the Hell out of here," she said.

Cyan quickly nodded, and the two of them got up to leave, but by the time they even stood up…

Orin jumped off the stage and landed straight in front of them, on his knees, with his legs on either side of them. The two girls found themselves looking straight into between his legs.

"Orin…" Cyan began, but another big bang and shudder soon silenced her, and they turned to see Cyc, having followed Orin, in the same position. All four of the Cyclopes legs were around them, preventing their escape.

Cassy gulped, as Cyc and Orin sat with their legs around her and Cyan, rocking their hips left and right.

'I knew I should have just had an early night,' she thought, her forehead banged against the table, and she grumbled…only to feel something like a tablecloth drape over her.

Cyan shrieked loudly. Cassy quickly pulled off only to discover it was Cyc's undergarments. Suddenly the image of her changing the bedsheets with Cyc's underwear from her dream a night flashed before her eyes, and Cassy shrieked, her mind stuck between two separate nightmares, one of folding Cyc's under, and the current one, of him removing them and tossing them onto the table…and her! She flung the undergarments out into the throng, but despite her best effort, their large size didn't let them go far, but the other patrons quickly snatched the undergarments up. A Harpy sucker-punched a Naga for the clothing.

Cassy kept her eyes away from Cyc, but unfortunately Orin was getting ready to follow his little cousin's example, and was already undoing his own loincloth.

"Okay, that's enough for me!" Cyan said loudly, and got up, grabbing Cassy's arm. "Many thanks for the unforgettable night, but I think we'll…WHOAAA!" Cyan yipped, as Cyc reached out his large hand and picked her up.

"Orinnnn!!!" Cassy squeaked, as Orin picked her up too, right before making the women scream once more, as a large cloth went flying through the air.

The two Cyclopes walked slowly back onto the stage, curving their hips and muscles, making every female's draw drop and drool at the sight of them.

Cassy and Cyan yelped, as the two giant jocks bounced them from hand to hand.

"I swear… I'll… get you two…" Cyan tried to speak, as she was shuffled from each hand, flying through the air.

Suddenly, the two green mountains of muscle turned their backs once more to the audience, bent over slightly, and each of them dropped Cassy and Cyan onto their backs.

"WHOOOOAAAAAA!!!" they both yelled, as they went sliding down on the oily backs of their old, and soon to be castrated, friends. They slid all the way down, and ended up grasping onto the Cyclopes' cheeks.

"EWWW!"

Cyc and Orin were both grinning like two mad Cheshire cats.

"We got this idea from your dance, Cyan!" Cyc said, referring to the dance that Cyan had named after her when she had accidentally got her hoof caught up in Orin's shorts, and had spent the night stuck on him, as he danced the night away.

Cyc rocked his hips, shaking his butt with Cyan hanging on for dear life. Neither she nor Cassy risked letting go, not wanting to risk the drop, and the possible trampling.

Some of the audience laughed at the sight, but were mostly too busy goggling at the sight of Orin's broad shoulders, and Cyc's legs.

"Oh yeah oh yeah!" Cyc sang, as he danced around the stage.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Orin answered.

"I'm gonna kill yooooooooo!" Cyan howled as she suddenly found herself flying in the air. Cyc and Orin had both stuck out their rears suddenly, causing the two girls to go soaring up into the air. Cassy found herself head over heels, her face turning redder, albeit from dizziness this time.

Cyc caught Cassy in his massive hands, her face turning white, then green, and then red again. While Cyan just looked a deep crimson, as Orin hugged her to his chest.

Cyc twirled a few more times, and then set a very dizzy Cassy on the ground. She stumbled off stage. Cyan spun around a few times, before her back legs slid over the edge of the stage. She gripped the curtain, slowing down her fall from the stage, though tearing a portion of the curtain down. The audience however was too enthralled with the dancing Cyclopes to notice the rain of plaster dust and fake flowers… as it just added to the feeling.

Cassy and Cyan, not feeling much under their feet, finally found their way back to their seats.

Cassy noticed Cyan's deep red face, and just said. "This is all our own fault, you know."

At Cyan's incredously look, she added. "Oh come on," she said, trying to avoid the look of Cyc's big thigh, as he and his cousin got down on all fours and crawled about on the stage, while all the women ran straight to the stage's edge, trying to grab a feel. "Cyc and Orin both told us they were going to perform on stage."

"They never told us it was a strip dance!" Cyan hissed.

Cassy looked at her oddly. "What else could it have been with them?" she asked simply.

Cyan opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of a word to say to that. Finally, she sighed, relenting. "You're right," she said.

The two continuing sitting where they were, sipping their drinks, as their two friends carried on with their dance. They jumped up in the air, shook their hips, flexed their muscles, and handed out at least every bit of their body parts for the audience to have a free feel of. They occasionally kept coming back to Cassy and Cyan, trying to get them to have a feel.

"Come on," they said playfully. "You've already helped yourself to the back… how about giving the front a try?" They winked at them.

Cassy and Cyan gave each other a short look, and then playfully tickled their friend's chins, getting them closer, and then proceeded to dump their nearly full drinks over their friends' heads.

Cyc looked a little surprised at first, but Orin just grinned, blowing them a kiss, and then started smearing the liquid all over his body. One Harpy girl got the point quickly, and leapt up to him, licking the juice off of him. Cyc then did the same, grabbing a glass off of a table and proceeded to pour it on himself.

Cassy and Cyan gagged.

"You have to hand it to those two," a voice suddenly said behind the girls. "They certainly know how to work an audience."

Cassy and Cyan looked to see Rion standing behind them. He was not wearing his waiter's outfit, but wearing street clothes. He had a gym bag slumped over one shoulder, but still wore the ornaments in his hair.

Rion grinned at them. "Enjoying the show?"

They gave him a dirty look. "I take it you knew about this charade, huh?" Cyan asked him, even though she knew the answer.

Rion shrugged. "Sorry, but your two buds up there made me promise not to say anything. Said they didn't want to spoil the surprise…so…um…did you like the surprise?"

Both glared at him.

Rion sat down at the table, tossing his gym bag under the table. He called over another waiter and gave him an order. "Here, let me buy you two drinks for the trouble. These drinks are on me."

They glared at him, and then looked at the two Cyclopes, living it up. They then looked back at him, the same dead expression on both their faces.

"Not literally," Rion stated dryly.

Cassy sighed. "You off home now?" she asked.

Rion nodded. "My shift ended before your buddies there went on stage, but I thought I'd stick around to see the show."

"Thanks," Cyan said dryly. He must have wanted to stick around and watch them get tossed about like two ragdolls by Cyc and Orin.

Cassy, despite Cyc and Orin's latest vanity exercise that had ended up her nearly tossing her dinner, was still a little keen about this new Minotaur. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, showing off his muscles, faded shorts, and she noticed he had a ring pierced through his left nipple.

"Um, Rion?" she said politely, sounding as though trying to make conversation. "Where was it that you said you worked, besides here?"

"I do some gardening," he answered. "Here and there. I'll be doing some weeding in the city park tomorrow actually, so if you're anywhere near, feel free to give us a shout."

"Oh I will," she replied truthfully.

Orion smiled and cocked an eyebrow at her. He took a napkin from the holder and pen from his pocket jolted down his number.

"If you want to give me a call or after then," Rion said. "It's not often that you meet interesting people in here-" a woman howled off to the side "I would like to say less uninterestingly, but that would be unflattering to you, and flattering to them."

"Less volatile?" Cyan offered.

"I like that term," Orion said. "Here you go."

He passed the note over to Cassy. Cyan grinned boldly.

"Thanks," Cassy stated, her face blushing and feeling like it was sunburned. Maybe the heat from the lights, the strippers, and the overly excited women was finally starting to get to her.

"Well, I'll have to go," Orion said, "believe me this place can and will get wilder, I kid you not. If these women get anymore nuts, they might be calling me up onto the stage again."

He lifted his bag over his shoulder, giving them a salute. "You two have a good night, or at least a better night," he said. "Or even better, a less dramatic night."

He smiled and left.

"He gave me his number," Cassy stated.

"On the stage again?" Cyan said.

Cassy blinked. "You don't think he's… "

Cyan grinned. "Well, he's certainly got the bod for it, you gotta admit that."

Cassy scowled. "Damn it! I knew we should have came early!"

Cyan laughed, and then suddenly stopped. "On the stage again," she repeated.

Cassy shrugged. "Well, jobs are scarce, even on New Olympus. You can hardly blame him for… "

"No!" Cyan shrieked. "They're on the stage again!"

"Huh?" Cassy looked up to where her friend was staring at, just in time to see a big green hand come down on her.

"CYCCCCCC!!!!!!!!" Cassy screeched.

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**Epilogue: **

_Boreas watched them. The people of New Olympus were celebrating, celebrating that they had managed to kill every one of the Humans who had dared to set foot on their island. They had sent the bodies back, as a warning._

_"You fools! What have you done?!"_

_No one reacted to him. Boreas wanted to move, but his feet were frozen in place. He looked to the citizens, as they looked about happy! Happy that they had killed! All the years of propaganda had finally resulted in cruel results._

_"Can't you see it?! You have brought doom over us all!"_

_Some of them now looked into his direction, but simply snorted. Then he saw something else that scared him. Miss Cassandra, beaten bloody and bound on a big wooden wheel, a victim of the seed of hatred._

_"No... They will want vengeance for this! What have you..."_

_**FLAAASSSHHHHHH**_

_"Aaaahhhhhhrrrggg!" Boreas screamed, when a bright white flash blinded over everything. The whole city seemed to vanish in this white, blinding light._

_Then he saw to his horror, how everything and everyone ignited under extreme temperatures. He himself also went up into flames. Screaming in pain, Boreas saw a huge, mushroom-shaped cloud rise up into the sky, with dust and fire beneath it._

_A huge wave of fire erupted in a circle from the cloud, blowing everything away. The city of New Olympus, already burning, was simply demolished by this wave of destruction, reduced to huge piles of debris!_

_In seconds, nearly the whole island had been reduced to barren, burning land. The citizens he saw, who were already horribly burned, were blown apart, as if made of ashes._

_Then the wave reached him too, and blew the burnt flesh off his bones._

_"Ahhhhhhh.h.h..h...h..."_

"NO!"

His heart still threatening to burst, Boreas only then noticed that he was in his bedchamber. It had only been a dream, a horrible dream... '_No,' _he suddenly thought, '_not a dream, a warning.'_

It was a warning that if they should fail to make peace with the outside world, this would be the future…total destruction. The Humans were advanced enough that they could simply erase them from the face of Earth, if they should see them as a threat.

Boreas knew that they had to succeed, or this horrible future would become reality. He could only hope, that the gathering could be convinced, that hostility or useless hiding would spell doom on them.

_**To Be Continued... **_


	10. Chapter 10

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

"_Cassy? We have the results back," Manty said. His voice sounded stressed. "It took us a while, hunting for the hormone, since it is fairly early in development."_

"_And?" Cassy asked. _

"_The hormone was not present, but since it is possible that humans have a different physiology than New Olympians, we compared your more recent samples with samples from the past…before…before, we just needed to make sure you have the same hormones as you did a while ago. Any new ones would indicate pregnancy… Oh thank the Gods Cassy, you're not pregnant," Manty spoke, his voice breaking as he spoke._

_000000000000000000_

_Achilles slumped over. Then it grew dim. _

_A short time later, a mouse like of the soft yellow-furred field mice variety, scurried on the floor of Achilles' cell. Its eyes and movement spoke of purpose, unlike those of the grey furred mice of the island that simply scurry about without looking. It ran across the hoof of the slumbering behemoth, then across another. Finally it stood on its hind legs, surveying its location. It scurried to the heavy chains that brought Achilles to the floor. _

_At the linking attached to the peg in the floor, it began to nibble at the thick metal. Easily its little incisors sliced away the metal. It darted to another peg, and moments later it darted to a third. After fifteen minutes it scurried back out the narrow crack that brought it into the cell._

_0000000000000_

_He also had to prepare for tomorrow, when his duty would start again. Despite Boreas's objections, Taurus intended to go back to work, seeing as he had now fully rested, and the situation with Cassy had been resolved. And there would be much work, since word had already spread about the great gathering, and preparations were now in full swing._

_The gathering preparations had disturbed the political proceedings somewhat. All politicians had cancelled their other appointments and concentrated on it, and the gathering was by now the top topic in the city._

_Tomorrow everyone would receive his or her official invitation to the gathering with the mail. Everyone who hadn't followed gossip, or the media, in the last two days would know then at the latest. The only question was how many would attend? _

_He for his part would be glad when the gathering starts in five days, because then this entire circus would end._

_**-Aftermath, Part III-**_

**And Now, The Continuation: **

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Darkness within, Part I**

**Manty's Apartment, 8:00AM:**

Manty groaned when he saw the pile of mail that had grown during the last days. Both he and Cassy had been far too busy to check their mailbox; she with her psychological trauma and an imaginary pregnancy, and he with his job that had become very hectic in the last few days.

Taking all of the mail into his apartment, he checked what had been in it. "Lets see... bill, bill, advertisement for a new household appliance, bill, bill, my monthly magazine (better not let Cassy see this), my balance report from the bank...hmmmm." Manty had two envelopes in his hand that looked interesting.

Both of them had the seal of the government on them, meaning that it was something official and important. One was addressed to him, the other to Cassandra. And the date of them said that it had been delivered today.

_'Let's see what this is.'_

Putting the other mail aside, Manty opened the envelope that was addressed to him. Pulling out the letter, Manty read it. What he read surprised him. "A great gathering? In four days...?"

Feeling that he may have become out of the loop, he went to the videoscreen, and turned on the text news. Skipping though it, he saw that his suspicion had been right. All the trouble and work in the last days had made him miss this totally. The gathering actually was the top topic in the city.

_'Well, it has been a hectic few days, so no wonder... ' _He remembered.

Manty then returned his attention to the letter. The letter didn't say what the actual reason for this gathering was; only that it was of great importance. Many read twice when he saw that the gathering would be held at nighttime. He at first wondered why that, but then remembered something from his time as a student. He had read that Gargoyles were night active, so this meant that Cassy's new friends were invited too.

The last Gathering had been when Cassy had first time to New Olympus, and the Gathering before that was when Miss Maza had come. Since then, there had been no great gathering in New Olympus. There had been simply no need for one.

That there now _was_ the need for one meant that something big was on the way.

Manty was sure that the one addressed to Cassy had the same invitation in it. _'This is pretty important, better give it to her now...' _Walking to her door, he again saw the note that she had stuck on it.

It basically said that entering before 9:00 was only allowed in case of emergency, and everyone else would feel the wrath of an angry teenager. Manty hadn't any idea what she had done last night, but he hadn't heard from her yet, meaning that she was still asleep.

Preparing for some grumbling from her side, he knocked loudly on the door. After repeating this for three times, he finally got a reaction.

"Mhhhhhh... yawn...What?!"

That was a better reaction than what he got out of her on some school days, when she was really tired in the morning, meaning that now she was actually almost done with sleeping.

"There is something for you in the mail. Government seal. Looks very important."

"Gimme a moment..." Manty heard some movement behind the door. Finally she opened up after some minutes. "I was done with sleeping anyway, so I can read this at breakfast," Cassy muttered, still not fully awake.

She left to freshen up while Manty prepared the table for breakfast. When she returned some minutes later, she looked much better.

"Nothing is better than some cold water on the face to awaken the spirit!" Sitting down at the table, she opened the envelope. "Let's see what they want from me..."

She read through it, and when she was done, she looked to Manty. "Manty, what is a great Gathering?"

"Well," Manty explained. "A Great Gathering is when all the citizens of New Olympus gather, to collectively decide on a matter of great importance, which concerns them all. You remember when you first arrived, and all the Olympians got together to decide what to do with you?"

"Ah..." The concept sounded logical to her. If things were too big for politicians to decide alone, the people themselves had to do it. "There is something else... They tell me quite direct that me attending is a must-be."

Manty scratched his head. He had no idea why they would demand this? "Well, we will see soon enough. I will attend, and you should ask your friends if they want to, too. Can't imagine why not, as this is a once-in-a-life opportunity."

"I will ask them tomorrow. I've planned something else today..." Cassy said while picking up her cup and filling it with the stuff which's name she couldn't pronounce, but which had the same effect on her that coffee had had on her father in the morning.

"At least I'm not expected to return to school until next week. I can't thank you enough for this little favour," she added as an afterthought.

Cassy shuddered at the idea of all the smart remarks she would get in school after all the things that had happened to her in the last two weeks. School had never been something she looked forward too. She had heard that children and teenagers were cruel, and had found more than enough evidence of that in school. The foolishness of youth strengthened the bias against her, while the adults at least managed to be more polite to her, evidence of spiritual growth.

At school she was confronted with arrogance, hatred and thoughtlessness at its purest, where it was still strong before the young adults must start their own lives without living off someone. Confronted with the harsh reality outside of the parental home, where they had to learn to play by societies' rules, most of them would lose these extreme traits and settle with a more subtle version of them, which was societies' accepted norm.

"It was no problem," Manty simply said.

He would never tell her how much Mrs. Neptune had protested at this. She had even implied that Cassy was simulating her mental fragility. She had only shut up what the principal, an old Manticore whose hair had lost all its colour long ago, had put his hand down, and demanded for her to stop this embarrassing display. Manty actually knew him, as he had been his old math teacher, and knew also that his temper was very short when it came to obvious stupidity.

They had a quiet breakfast, talking about various things, until Manty looked to his clock. "Oh, I must get ready. Can you please clean up the table when you are done?"

"Training me to be the perfect housewife?" Cassy asked him.

Manty was taken aback for a second, before he saw her smirk. "Ha-ha. Very funny." Gathering his things, he left Cassy alone.

_'Well, today should be interesting...' _Cassy thought while cleaning the table.

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**Senate Hall; 9:40AM:**

"How many times do I have to tell you idiots that this belongs there, and that belongs here!?" a big Centaur snarled at his men, who were busy with erecting a row of flagpoles on each side of the lane to the senate building. Every house with even a tiny bit of importance had insisted that their flag had to be shown, and the number of houses was quite big. His men, three Cyclops who lifted the flagpoles like other people would handle a broom, only grumbled.

"Slave driver..." one of them muttered.

It was their luck that the lead worker was from one of the lesser houses, meaning that he compensated his inferiority complex by barking at them, the commoners. And it didn't improve their mood.

They tried not to think about it, and returned to their work. At least they would be paid better than normal for this job.

Inside the senate building, there was even more work to be done. The huge hall was at the moment modified to house as many people as possible. It had been many years since the last Gathering, and since then the population had grown steadily.

Thankfully, modern technology helped, and two huge two-way holoscreens were installed… one in the hall itself, and one on the plaza in front of the hall. This way, even those outside could participate in the Gathering. Those who decided at the last minute to attend, and couldn't find a place.

Senator Raon just was glad when he walked out of the office block, adjoining to the senate hall, that he could escape all this. Working in his office was almost impossible with all this noise. Thankfully, he had other things to do.

"Senator, we are ready to go," his secretary, an elder shape-shifter, said.

"Good," he simply answered, entering his hovercar, glad to leave behind the organized chaos the senate hall has become.

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**City Centre Park; 9:56AM:**

Cassy walked up to the grounds of the city centre park.

The city, although most of it was high tech, had really gone out to bring a little nature in. They had planted trees, various plants, most of which Cassy had never heard of before coming to New Olympus, and for all she knew they didn't exist anywhere else.

Cassy had just had the biggest relief of her life, when her test results showed she wasn't pregnant. She felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her, and she was finally free to start living her life again, and by God she was going to do it.

She checked down on herself, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress, which she had had her Aunt Mantaura cut especially short for her. And then she pulled out her small make-up mirror, checking her face and applying a small dab of lipstick.

'_Don't wanna make myself look too desperate,' _she thought.

She was going to the city gardens because that was where Orion, the Minotaur who she and Cyan had met last night, was supposed to be working.

He was a little old for her, but then again that seemed to be the same for all her past ex's, including Achilles...

Cassy froze for a moment at the sound of her violator's name, but shook it off. She had come to terms with her ordeal, and she had just had the mother of all fears taken off of her, so she was damned if she was going to let that bastard's name intimidate her any longer.

Finally, she spotted Orion cutting the hedge cutting near the fountains. He was wearing a pair of dark blue shorts, but no shirt. It was really hot today, so he probably had to take it off.

She flushed a little at his bulging muscles. No wonder the guy had been a stripper and waiter at the River Styx. With his body, he was perfect for the job.

She checked herself one more time, and then went over to say hello.

"Hi, Cassy, how are you this morning?" Rion asked, turning around just as Cassy placed her compact in her purse. Cassy missed the opening of the purse by a wide margin, and the compact hit the ground. He responded, "I could see you in the blades of the hedge cutters. I'm really surprised you came here. I thought you'd be tired after last night."

He held up the hedge cutters, her own startled expression looked back at her.

"Um, I'm doing very good. I was actually planning staying locked in my room for the next two weeks, but I opted to come out. Cyc's the one who's tired," she said kneeling down. "At least last night had one good thing, Cyc's actually out of energy…for once. He hasn't called me yet, asking how his performance was, and what I thought of him. How have you been?"

Rion chuckled and opened a bottle of water.

"I'm doing quite well also, so how's the city treating you…I mean, how's the day treating you?" Rion said, leaning back. He was glistening with sweat. "We all know how the city treats you."

Rion drank the entire bottle down, as Cassy spoke.

"The day's going well, slightly better than expected," Cassy said. "Thanks. And those hedges look very nice."

Orion glanced behind. "Thank you, it's taken me almost all morning. And you just know that next month they're going to need clipping again. But then again, that's life. I have to clip the trees over in the grove now; do you want to come along?"

"Sure," Cassy said, and followed behind Rion. Rion picked up a ladder and balanced it on his shoulder. In his other hand he carried the hedge clippers. Cassy toddled behind him. "So how long have you been working in gardening, Rion?"

"A few years," Rion answered. "I've done a few odd jobs here and there, and needless to say, this is one of the few I'm…proud of. It's mostly to pay for the classes I take on the side. "

"Oh," Cassy paused. "What do you go to school for?"

"Sociology," Orion answered matter-of-factly, setting the ladder up under an orchard of silver barked, mint coloured leaved trees. "I have a few more years to go though. They're only classes on the side. I was going for a mechanics originally."

"You would have made a great mechanic," Cassy blurted without thinking.

"Hmm?" Rion mumbled from up in the tree branches.

"Nothing!" she called up the ladder, looking up as she did so, and getting a good view of one of Rion's best sides.

"Very great," she murmured.

"Shouldn't take me too long to get all this done," Rion called down. "Once I get done, fancy going for a drink?"

"Great!" Cassy said. Rion seemed to be taking an interest in her, she thought happily.

"Do you want me to help?" she asked. "I used to help my dad with the hedges back home, before I came to New Olympus!"

Rion shrugged his broad shoulders. "Sure, there's a spare set of clippers in my backpack! Get them and climb on up!"

Cassy ran over to where she saw Rion's pack, and quickly rummaged through it to find the clippers. While running her fingers around, she found a magazine and another invitation letter, this one addressed to Rion. She pulled out the magazine to take a look.

Her eyes widened, as she found herself staring at the front picture of two Centaurs flexing their muscles, and a Minotaur bending over behind them.

"Wha…" but then she realized, as she read more of the article. "Oh, it's a review for Cyc and Orin's performance." She said, reading the title, saying that the new strip act of two Cyclops cousins had almost caused the women customers of the River Styx to run a riot, last night.

"This is certainly going to make Cyc and Orin's smirks run high," she said, rolling her eyes slightly. She went to put the magazine back in the pack, before pausing slightly.

'_I seemed to be going through a lot of people's things lately, particularly their reading material,'_ she thought, remembering the diary from Cyc's house, which still resided in her apartment. So far though, neither Cyc nor his dad seemed to have noticed its disappearance.

'They probably never will,' she thought out loud.

"Hey, you still there?!" Rion called.

"Coming!" Cassy yelled, grabbing the shears and running back over to the ladder. "I see they sent you also in invitation to this gathering thing. I have been so distracted, I never heard of it until I got the mail this morning. Any idea how this gathering stuff works?"

"No idea. Never had been to one. I was told that the people of New Olympus gather only for matters of great importance. A little strange that it will be held at nighttime," Rion answered her.

'_I can think why...' _Cassy thought, remembering one species, which could only attend at night. "Do you plan to attend?" she asked.

"You bet. I'm quite curious to see what this is about. It's gossip topic number one in the city," Rion told her. "There is now hardly a way _not_ to hear about it, apart from hiding in a hole."

Cassy knew what he meant. On her way to the park she had actually listened to what people around her said, now that she wasn't burdened with a possible pregnancy anymore. The great gathering in four days was almost omni-present. And she herself had been told explicitly in her invitation, that her presence was almost a must-be.

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**New Olympus Psychiatric Hospital; The Same Time:**

Senator Raon walked up the steps to the main Institute for the ill minded of New Olympus. It hadn't been his idea to come here, but his campaign officer had told him that all those previous visits to children's wards at the medical centres and such were getting old.

This institute was the only one where none of the other candidates had visited, and should gain him some more sympathy on the votes. His other candidate had already beaten him to all the other typical places of empathy and suffering. He might as well beat his challenger to the punch, and show a place with great sympathy, what most New Olympians tried to avoid or not to think about. This should get him some votes, going bravely and empathetically where few New Olympians dare to go.

But apart from the fact that he detested this place, he also felt that it was a horrible waste of time. The election campaigns of all politicians had been re-scheduled in the wake of the Gathering preparations. The chance to make a big impression at the Gathering, and therefore win over a lot of people, had been too tempting for them.

All of them were now busy with already gathering their followers to make themselves look important in the days before the big event, and planned for the big day itself.

Everyone, but him. He had been unable to move this visit to another day, thanks to his stupid secretary, may she now find a new job, and therefore he would today lose a whole day to his political rivals.

Pushing these thoughts aside, he steered himself for over an hour of boredom. Raon sighed, and adjusted his loincloth and medals, given to him for outstanding service, and made sure that his horns were perfectly shining. A Senator always had to be at his best.

The second he walked through the doors, he was quickly greeted by the Director of the institute, Odysseus the Nymph, a creature of the Earth.

"Welcome, Senator!" Odysseus greeted him warmly, and loudly. He was obviously proud of having a Senator, no one less, coming to visit his centre.

"Greetings, Odysseus," Raon mentally rolled his eyes.

"I cannot tell you how proud we are to have you come visit our humble hospital," the Director claimed.

'_It's not a hospital,' _Raon thought. '_It's just another word for a prison where they keep all the nut jobs locked away.' _But instead all he said was… "I'm sure I will enjoy my visit here. I look forward to seeing all your wings."

"Of course, of course," the Director waved him to enter the building. "Please, let us start by visiting one of the therapy rooms."

Raon moaned silently, and followed the Nymph inside.

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**City Gardens; 11:19AM: **

Unexpectedly Cassy found herself helping Rion… she had planned on doing some light helping, and mostly talking to him, but found herself actually working beside him. He did not realize it, and she did not realize it until they replanted the flowers around a fountain of hippocampi and merfolks.

"You are definitely not dressed for this sort of work," Rion stated bemusedly, as he handed a flower to her for planting. Both were on all fours, side by side. Orion dug the holes, and Cassy planted the flowers, gently mounding the dark soil over the roots.

Cassy looked at her hands, the dirt formed gloves on her hands. Her knees and shins were coated in dirt and stained with grass, and her dress was smudged all over. She could taste dirt and sweat on her lips.

Orion chuckled, rubbing his hands together, cracking off dirt. "You weren't expecting to work, were you? How do you say let's go get a drink after we get everything put a way?"

"Sorta…I just forgot how much work it is, gardening. We just have potted plants at home…albeit _a lot_ of potted plants, but they're not this much work," Cassy said, wiping the sweat off her forehead and leaving a streak of dirt. "It's been years since I've last gardened."

"Was this in your human world?" Orion asked, pushing a trowel out of the way, and sitting back.

Cassy glanced behind her, as people were starting to pour into the park, a few parents discussed to their youngsters about the newly planted flowers and topiary. "Yeah, but it was years ago, even when I was still in the human world, it was years ago. I used to have a very small garden when I was child. My parents just had a garden for the novelty of having a small kid, me, help out with the planting and harvesting. Because you know, those are important and amazing things for a child to experience."

Orion was listening intently, almost startling Cassy.

"You don't seem very upset with the fact I'm a human," Cassy stated. "You know, ninety percent of people here hate my guts."

"It's a small island," Orion pointed out. "It's a lot easier to meet the few people that actually like humans, or at least can tolerate them."

"So you like humans?" Cassy stated.

"We're all mortals, underneath the skin, feathers, scales, horns, tails, tailless behinds, and wings," he said, leaning against the base of a nearby statue.

"So how did you come to realize that?" Cassy asked.

Rion shrugged. "I guess I came to an insightful conclusion early in life, or just never picked up on the whole humans are sin incarnate thing. I think it has to be taught or the child picks it up. I never had time to 'pick it up' growing up, I just jumped from foster house to foster house. By the time I was old enough to actually comprehend everything, I didn't care."

"Oh," Cassy said.

"Say, you've picked up quite a bit of dirt on you," Rion noticed, and then dusted himself off. "Seems I have, too. Fancy putting that drink off, and going to the baths instead?"

Cassy resisted the urge to grin. "Sure!" she replied. "I mean, yeah. I could do with a good rub down… I mean, a good wash!"

"I know the feeling," Rion agreed, heading with her towards the bathhouse. "Since you're the one with the most dirt on you, we'll get you cleaned up first."

'Yesss!' she thought excitedly.

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**New Olympus Psychiatric Hospital; 11:23AM:**

"And here is our special ward," the Director explained, showing the Senator through the sealed doors. "This is where all our most dangerously unbalanced patients are kept."

'Are there any other sort?' he thought. "Let us hope your famous therapy helps them on the road to recovery, sir."

The Nymph beamed at his praise.

"Is this all the cells there are here?" he asked, as there were only a few of them.

The Director nodded. "Thankfully, the kind of patients that reside here are extremely rare. There aren't that many Olympians who develop this kind of psychological damage. Our laws seemed to have seen to it that no one on New Olympus suffers any kind of harm."

"And with me in charge," Raon assured him. "I can promise you that I will personally see to it that it stays that way."

He put his hand on his heart and beamed, holding his head proudly as the director conversed with him. The camera crew behind him eagerly filmed Senator Raon, tall and proud, looking on with the progress of the state.

The director smiled. "I'm sure you will."

"As do I," a voice suddenly sounded. "As long as it doesn't include with what goes on in your own house, that is."

The voice shook Raon like an earthquake shakes a statue, albeit this statue could change its nonchalant, domineering expression. Raon looked up sharply.

"Forgive him," the Director hastily said, squeezing in front of Raon. "Sometimes, the patients here blabber in their sleep, blabber about what life was like before they came here. Many have a tendency of being unable to tell the difference between past and present. They've all been sedated, so they can't cause any harm, even if the cells weren't locked."

"I remember when you used to come up the stairs to the attic," the voice continued. "When I was verrrry little, I once looked forward it… but soon I came to fear them, as I did your wives."

"Who is that?!" Raon demanded, not liking this patient's attitude. Who was this maniac to talk to him so?

"Why don't you come and see, or maybe tell me a bedtime story? You never did before."

Raon marched down the aisle of cells, stopping at each of the force fields, peering in at the confused and tired faces of the patients.

"All little boys get spanked by their daddies when they're bad," the voice continued. "I remember your spankings, daddy."

"Senator, please," the director tried to coax the Senator back outside. "Remember, these patients are not in their right head. They surely don't know what they're even saying."

"If this _patient_ has something to say to me, let him say it to my own face!" Raon demanded, and finally came to the last cell. "All right, you. What exactly is it you're…" he stopped.

Achilles raised his massive head to look at the Senator straight in his eyes. "Hello, daddy?" he said simply. "Am I due for my spanking again?"

Raon's eyes widened in shock, fear and desperation. "I have to go," he quickly said. "You were right, sir. It wasn't a good idea to let this… this patient see me. It's probably indulging his sick fantasies…"

"Was I fantasying about the way you locked me in that attic for most of my childhood?" Achilles stood up, struggling against the chains binding him. "The garbage that you and mother brought up to me as food? Tell me, how is Mummy? Does she miss me too? What about the constant beatings I suffered? And then, when there wasn't anything more you could do to me, you took me straight out into the middle of the jungle, and left me there to die!!!"

Raon stepped back cautiously, nudging people out of the way. His legs slowly worked backwards, but his eyes were frozen on that spot. Thump, he hit the wall, and feeling like a rat that the cat cornered.

"Haven't I gotten big, daddy? Aren't I a big boy now, daddy? Aren't you scared now, DADDY? I'm finally bigger than you? Or are you just plain scared that I'm still alive now, DADDY?" Achilles said, his voice growing deep, more possessed with each utterance of the word _daddy. _

Raon turned to leave, but before he could…

"DON'T YOU TURN A BLIND EYE TO ME, FATHER!"

**[CRASH! **

Achilles burst out of his chains, bending and shredding them as though they were nothing more than paper. He then leapt forward, his large heavy hooves sounding like thunder, and raced through the force field, its energy crackling like lightning, but Achilles did not even seem to feel it. He hit it with such force, shreds of iron and dust poured down onto the assembly

Many cameramen abandoned their posts, bolting out the door, screeching like Harpies. Most were frozen in place, or covered in the destruction.

The dust cleared, and it was silent except for the heavy breathing of Achilles and the gurgling of Raon. Achilles' black hand was around his neck, his thumb pressed into his voice box. Raon clawed at Achilles' thick fingers. Achilles snarled at his attempt, froth splattered from his mouth.

"I've grown up haven't I, Daddy?" Achilles snarled, pulling one of Raon's hands from his throat with his free hand. "I'm a big boy now. I'm bigger than you. You can't hurt me anymore."

He twisted Raon's wrist, snapping it soundly. Raon screeched. Achilles let the arm fall limply, like seaweed, to Raon's side.

"And the same can't be said for you," Achilles hissed into his face. Tears were now pouring from the corners of Raon's eyes.

"Tears, that's the first time I've ever seen you cry, Father," Achilles cooed. "And it will be the last."

Achilles began to crush Raon's neck in his hand, blood slowly beginning to drip from the cuts from Achilles' sharp nails.

Something caught the corner of Achilles' eye…a soft, steady red beeping light. The dull black lens of a camera, half buried in the rubble, but still working, reflected the scene to Achilles.

"NO!" Achilles snorted in Raon's face. "THIS is too easy. THIS is too quick. THIS is TOO GOOD for YOU!"

He let go of Raon's throat and held him up by his wounded arm. He looked once again into Raon's purple face.

"Every night for many years I slept not in leaves, or dirt, or grass. I slept in fear, I slept in fear that you would come back, you would hunt me down and kill me slowly, that you would hunt me down and cage me again. I never slept well for a long time, Father," Achilles cooed.

He flung Raon against the wall and turned to leave. Before galloping out the door, he turned to his father once again, just giving Raon a rudimentary glance over his shoulder.

"Keep that in mind, Father, when you are nice and snug in your warm bed tonight."

Achilles charged out.

Raon was left in the rubble, gripping his bleeding wrist, but nursing something far worse.

"Senator!" one of the guards shouted, racing to him. "Senator, are you all right?"

But Raon didn't answer. He just stayed sitting where he was, his eyes wide open and filled with ice-cold fear.

00000000000000000000

**New Olympus Security Office; 11:34AM:**

The alert from the high-security wing of the psychiatric hospital meant bad news. Taurus knew this as soon as the alarm had went off, causing him and ten of his best men to rush to the hospital as fast as possible. But they already knew that they were too late when they saw the smashed open front doors.

"Oh shit! What can cause that kinda destruction?" Helios gaped. "A freaking' bomb?"

Running through the corridors, they followed a trail of destruction, chaos, smashed open doors and injured personnel, directly to the high-security wing. And what Taurus saw, made his worst fears come true.

Where once the force field framed Achilles' cell, was now only a big gaping hole, the corridor littered with debris...and several bodies half buried in the rubble. Several guards were trying to hold back the occupants of the other cells, whose force fields had failed as consequence of the destruction. And sitting in the destruction was senator Raon, simply staring at the empty cell.

"By the gods..." Taurus whispered. "Helios!" he shouted, "Give alert to all units in the city! We have an extremely dangerous psychopath running free! But no public alert, a panic is the last thing we need now! And try to find Ms. Williams! She is in grave danger!"

"Yes, Sir!" Helios didn't even snort when hearing Cassy's name. He had seen this psycho when he was delivered to the hospital.

"What the hell has happened?" Taurus asked one of the guards, who weren't busy with holding back a patient from trying to escape.

"No idea...We only came in after this mess started. Everyone else who had been in here during it has either fled, is unconscious, or dead. And Senator Raon seems to be so shocked that he hasn't said a word," the guard told him.

"What set this off...?" Taurus wondered, and then turned around when he heard something buzzing from the rubble. Pulling something out of the rubble, he had a camera in his hands. He dusted it off. "I wonder if...?"

Turning the time index back by several minutes, he watched on the small preview screen the events that led to this destruction. Taurus paled when he made the connection between Raon and Achilles. They had no success in finding out from where Achilles came from, but if what was said on this video was true, it didn't wonder him. Raon surely had enough influence, even back then, to let this information disappear.

Helios came back at this moment. "She isn't at home, and her adoptive father doesn't know where she is!" he reported.

"Damn! And Achilles might go after her first!" Taurus handed the camera to Helios. "Give this to the evidence department; tell them to analyse it, and to compare Senator Raon's genetic profile to the one of Achilles! I need to find Ms. Williams... There's every chance she will be his prime target!"

Taurus then grabbed his com-link. He would use all of his authority to find her as fast as possible!

00000000000000000000

**City Baths, 11:43AM: **

Cassy undressed before Rion, getting ready to bathe. He did not seem to take much notice, but then he was busy getting out of his own garments at the moment. Cassy could not resist a few glances over her shoulder, as he changed. Orion simply looked at his locker.

Some of the Olympians spared her a glance, but none said anything. The Baths was one of the few places where the Olympians were always too busy to care about who was in their presence.

"So, do you live near…EEK!" she squeaked, as a bail of cold water fell on her, soaking her.

"Sorry," Rion apologized nervously. "Thought this water was heated. I'll get some more if you want?"

"No, no," she chattered through her teeth. "This is fine. A c-c-c-c-c-cold sh-shower does the body good."

Rion nodded, and then picked up the lather and sponge.

Cassy did her best not to swoon at his magnificent body. All of his muscles filled out his body perfectly. His body was not as rippled with muscles like Taurus, as he was younger and did not have a strict workout schedule as him. Scrubbing Taurus was like scrubbing a brick wall at some points, and Cassy was thrilled at the prospect of cleaning off Rion.

"Ready?" Rion asked her considerately.

"Ohhh yeah," she murmured, lifting her arms.

Over the next few minutes, she enjoyed the feel of his big hands as they lathered over each little part of her skin, smoothing the soap over it before rinsing it with the bath's pure water. He simply washed the dirt off, without pausing, just worked efficiently, and in no time, she was clean. Quickly he turned, filling a bucket up with water…warm water this time.

'No wonder it's so hard to keep your attention on anything here,' she thought. 'This guy should consider Cyc's old job as a masseuse!'

She was literally lulled into sleep as Rion worked, just lightly pressing into her skin, leaving her craving for a bit more.

"All done," Rion announced, rinsing the soap off. He then held out his own hands. "My turn now," he simply said.

'Yesss,' she thought, grabbing the sponge.

She had a pretty good time running her hands through Rion's pelt. His fur was so soft, it was like linen silk, but his muscles made it feel as hard as rock.

Rion sighed, obviously enjoying the feel of her touch. But judging by what she was seeing, as she worked her way down his stomach, he was not enjoying it _too_ much.

Cassy leaned over him, just pressing her chest into his back. Rion's ears flicked back, his chest rumbled.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Rion answered.

Rion filled up a bucket of hot water for himself and poured it over his head, washing off the thick suds. His back was to her; a thick soapy streak still ran down his back.

"Thanks, Cassy, that felt great," Rion said to her.

"Not that great apparently," Cassy murmured.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, and then thought of something. "Oh wait."

"What?" Rion asked.

"You haven't got all the soap off you completely," she said, getting some more water from the taps. "Here, let me."

"Well, I…" Rion began, but didn't get a chance to finish, as Cassy quickly doused him with the water.

"What would you do without a woman's touch?" Cassy joked.

"Well, actually…" Rion said, but then just sighed deeply, as Cassy ran her fingers deeper into his pelt.

'I must say he's a lot nobler than all the other Olympians I've met,' Cassy thought. 'Most of them would be going out of their way to get me on the floor by now.'

"I was wondering," she added out loud. "Are you doing anything tonight, or the next few days?"

Rion shrugged. "I have work tonight," he replied. "I'm free tomorrow. Why, were you planning on helping me with some more hedges? There's very few people who enjoy doing that." He smiled.

Cassy chuckled. "I was actually wondering if maybe we could together for some lunch?"

"Lunch?" Rion lost his smile, and was looking confused for some reason.

"Yeah, you know… food," Cassy said slyly. "You don't have to buy, I'll buy."

"I know what lunch is," Rion smirked. "I meant, why are you…" Suddenly, something seemed to finally dawn on his face, as he looked at Cassy startled. "Cassy, are you… are you asking me out… on a date… a date, date?"

Cassy blushed, and smoothed back her hair. "Umm, yes," she admitted. "I know we only met last night, but I thought maybe we could…"

"Cassy?" Rion interrupted her. "By any chance, have you spoken with Cyc and Orin about me at all? Or seen them since last night?"

"No," Cassy grimaced. "After last night's fiasco, Cyan and me had had more than enough of them to look at. I did not even know about you until last night."

Rion was starting to look uncomfortable; he put his hands on her shoulders, and looked towards the tiles. "Well, um…Cassy, you know I think you're a very special _girl_ and everything. But I think you should know…"

Cassy felt her heart drop. "Oh," she said lowly. "You don't wanna get mixed up… with a human, right?"

"What?!" he said shocked. "No, nothing like that. It has nothing to do with you being a human. You see I'm not interested in human _women._"

"Oh, well if it's about my age. I've been with other guys who were much older than you. In fact, I was actually engaged not too long ago to…"

"Cassy!" Rion suddenly blurted, and then took a deep breath before saying. "You don't seem to understand. I don't mean to hurt your feelings…let me rephrase that…I'm not interested in women for romantic reasons." There was pause. "I'm homosexual."

Cassy blinked at his revelation. She pulled away, and murmured, "You're gay?"

"If that's the term that humans use, yes," Rion said, scratching at his chin. He looked at Cassy, her face blank. "Is, is…is something wrong, Cassy?"

He placed both his hands on Cassy's damp shoulders, and was amazed as she started to laugh…and laugh…and laugh. It echoed through the bathhouse. She wiped her face, still chuckling, her face was red, and she didn't look into his face.

"Umm, is that good or bad?" Rion asked, giving her a light shake.

"It's all right, its all right," Cassy said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm not crying because I'm upset. My ego is another thing, but… I've just had weird luck with guys. Weird, bad luck with men."

"Tell me about it," Rion stated. Then he screwed his face again, as realization set in. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't make you bring _that memory_ up again."

"Huh…oh," Cassy said, picking up what he was saying. "No, it's not just that. I mean aside from him, I've also had a date with a Centaur who cocked out on me at a party, nearly getting me trampled to death by a horde of his cousin's guests. Then there was of course the other guy, you just mentioned. And then, when I thought I was pregnant, practically every male I know asked me to be their bride so that they could raise my kid with me…in the matter of hours!"

Rion looked at her, blinking as she spoke. "Whoa…" he blinked again. "You really haven't had a lot of luck with males, have you?"

Cassy chuckled, shaking her head. "And now, to top it all off… I finally meet a new guy, kinda cute, and just when I think it's starting to go well… it turns out he's not even into women."

Rion headed her over to one of the seats, sitting her down. "I am sorry about that," he said honestly. "But thank you for the compliment, but I will tell you that you are a looker, for a human and a woman."

"About what?" Cassy said. "You can't help being gay anymore than I can help being Human. It's just the way we are. I just wish…" she groaned. "I just wish I had picked up the signs from you earlier, before I was going out of my way to flirt with you."

The signs in New Olympians obviously were not as obvious as they were in humans. Then again, it was an entirely different culture, and Cassy was still reminded of that. In ancient Greece, she could recall same sex relationships were not that abnormal, and were accepted, so it would be not so different for the New Olympians. However, now that certain things were brought to light, and Cassy could not believe she had managed to miss some of the hints.

Rion smiled a little. "I hadn't really noticed before," he chuckled. "I mean, everyone I know knows about me, so I didn't think too much of it. I just thought you were having a bit of fun. I mean, even Cyc and Orin knew, and I just assumed they'd told you."

"Oh believe me, I was having fun," Cassy muttered, and added louder. "I guess this is what happens when I don't pay attention to my friends, even the really loud and obnoxious ones."

"Oh I don't know," Rion said, scratching his chin. "I find them to be a very amusing and enlightened couple of Cyclops, myself."

Cassy gave him a sideways stare. "You saying that because you really mean it, or just because you think they have really cute butts?"

Rion cocked at eyebrow, smiled and then added. "I'm saying it because I mean it... Not that they don't have cute rears to speak of."

Cassy smiled, but was still nursing her face in her hands. "Lord, I feel so embarrassed. I mean, the way I was practically throwing myself at you all this time. I feel like a complete idiot."

"No, you're not!" Rion assured her. "You are an amazing young girl. You just didn't know, that's all. Anyone would have made the same mistake. Just do me a favour, will you…don't go spreading this around too much, okay?"

Cassy looked at him. "I won't, but you really shouldn't be embarrassed about your sexuality. I mean I'm human, do you think I… "

"No, not that," Rion shook his head. "I don't want news of this getting around, not because I'm embarrassed, but because of my work."

"Your work?" Cassy looked at him confused.

Rion smirked. "Well think about it… if you were one of those screaming females at the River Styx last night, and you found out one of the strippers was gay… don't you think that would take out some of the action?"

Cassy shrugged. "Personally, I don't think it would have mattered to those ladies whether you were gay or not… They didn't care about what was underneath, underneath the skin I mean, not the clothes. They just wanted everything else."

"Hey!"

Cassy laughed, and soon Rion joined in.

"Hey, and what do you mean _kinda_ cute???" Rion suddenly asked, flexing his muscles. "Does this look _kinda cute_ to you?"

Cassy giggled out loud.

Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded throughout the baths.

"What the…?" Rion looked up confused, with Cassy beside him.

_Would Cassandra Williams please come to the front desk immediately, please! _The voice on the intercom sounded.

Cassy and Rion looked at each other.

'_Now what?'_ they both thought.

They quickly changed, and the receptionist looked at the red faced, embarrassed looking couple with concentration, and then grinned, looking as if she knew what was happening back at the showers. Rion looked up a ceiling, rolling his eyes because he knew what the woman was thinking; only causing a bigger grin in the receptionist.

"Miss Williams, this call is for you," she said impatiently and bitterly, handing a communicator over to her. With Cassy distracted, the receptionist, who was a _very old _receptionist, batted an eye at Rion. Rion's face twisted, in surprise or disgust.

Cassy glanced over her shoulder at the scene. Rion was taking it in stride. '_**That **__makes me feel less of an idiot,'_ Cassy thought with a smile.

"Hello?"

"Miss Williams?" a familiar voice strictly stated.

"Taurus?" Cassy exclaimed. Both Rion and the receptionist, who stopped puffing her lips, looked back.

"Thank Zeus I have finally found you. I have been calling over the city searching for your exact location," Taurus stated hurriedly. "I need you to remain in the bath house. I will be sending a patrol down immediately."

"What? Taurus what's going on?" Cassy squawked. The receptionist started to lean in to listen, only to be elbowed by Rion who cocked an eyebrow and smiled seductively at her. He mouthed _Call Me_ to her.

"Achilles has escaped this morning, and we have yet to find his exact location. We suspect you might be in peril. We don't know if… "

Whatever Taurus said after that was a blur to Cassy at that moment. The second he told her that Achilles had escaped, she felt as if her whole world was slipping around her. Memories soon returned of her time at Achilles' hut, the purple herb he had given her, the bad dreams that followed…

"Cassy?" Rion's voice spoke to her, sounding as though it was coming from very far away.

Cassy didn't answer back, and just fainted dead away.

_**To Be Continued... **_


	11. Chapter 11

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

_Senator Raon just was glad when he walked out of the office block, adjoining to the senate hall, that he could escape all this. Working in his office was almost impossible with all this noise. Thankfully, he had other things to do._

_"Senator, we are ready to go," his secretary, an elder shape-shifter, said._

_"Good," he simply answered, entering his hovercar, glad to leave behind the organized chaos the senate hall has become._

_0000000000000_

"_Every night for many years I slept not in leaves, or dirt, or grass. I slept in fear, I slept in fear that you would come back, you would hunt me down and kill me slowly, that you would hunt me down and cage me again. I never slept well for a long time, Father," Achilles cooed. _

_He flung Raon against the wall and turned to leave. Before galloping out the door, he turned to his father once again, just giving Raon a rudimentary glance over his shoulder._

"_Keep that in mind, Father, when you are nice and snug in your warm bed tonight."_

_Achilles charged out._

_000000000000000_

_Helios came back at this moment. "She isn't at home, and her adoptive father doesn't know where she is!" he reported._

_"Damn! And Achilles might go after her first!" Taurus handed the camera to Helios. "Give this to the evidence department; tell them to analyse it, and to compare Senator Raon's genetic profile to the one of Achilles! I need to find Ms. Williams... There's every chance she will be his prime target!"_

_Taurus then grabbed his com-link. He would use all of his authority to find her as fast as possible!_

_000000000000000_

"_Achilles has escaped this morning, and we have yet to find his exact location. We suspect you might be in peril. We don't know if… " _

_Whatever Taurus said after that was a blur to Cassy at that moment. The second he told her that Achilles had escaped, she felt as if her whole world was slipping around her. Memories soon returned of her time at Achilles' hut, the purple herb he had given her, the bad dreams that followed… _

"_Cassy?" Rion's voice spoke to her, sounding as though it was coming from very far away. _

_Cassy didn't answer back, and just fainted dead away._

_**-The Darkness within, Part I-**_

**And Now, The Continuation: **

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Darkness within, Part II**

**Cyc's Home, 11:52AM:**

"Well, it's good to see you're up!" Brontes heartily chuckled, as a bedraggled looking Cyc dragged himself into the living room. Both Orin and he were sitting at the table, drinking coffee (or at least something that closely resembled it). A secret pastime and pleasure that neither two liked to share with other people next to close family members.

"He's still a little wet behind the ears," Orin stated with a snide grin. Orin looked better than ever, perhaps even more energized.

Cyc pulled himself over to the massive couch. "Gimme a cup."

Brontes pushed a cup of steaming coffee over to his son. "Must have been some night. So how'd it go, son?"

After a sip of hot coffee, clearing his head, Cyc energized slightly. "It went great! It went beyond great! I had those girls fainting and screaming left and right!"

"You had those girls? Come on, Cyc, don't be pulling your father's leg," Orin said. "They didn't come to see you, you just have the basics. They came to see me! You were just the sprinkles on an extra good cake!"

"What?" Cyc said, the insult waking him even more. "Excuse me! Who made the most money by the end of the night? ME!"

"It's because you're new at it, they just tipped you because of that," Orin said. "Let's see you try and make that money next time. And I believe your best friends didn't even pay you."

"They didn't pay you either," Cyc said.

"They're not expected to pay me," Orin said with a chuckle and sip. "You put the show on for them, and didn't get a cent in return."

"You can't put a price on facial expressions like theirs," Cyc said.

"True," Orin said.

"Drove 'em wild then?" Brontes said.

"Like Hades we did," they agreed simultaneously.

"Lot of women hanging on you?" Brontes asked, scratching at his chin.

"Oh yes," Orin said.

"They called for an encore!" Cyc added.

"Huh," Brontes said, looking at his reflection in his cup. "You know, I'm looking pretty damn good for my age…and it's been years since I've driven droves of women wild like that. That's how I met your mother, Cyc, did I tell you that?"

"About a million times, Dad," Cyc said, downing his drink.

Brontes had an amazing build of muscle, forged from years of working at construction sites and exercising. He had grown a bit blubbery in his stomach area in his later years, but he was still 'hunky' enough, as he called it, to attract the ladies.

"You know, if a duo worked that well, how about a trio?" Brontes said. "It will be great! Just the three of us! We'll drive the women nuts. They won't have their voices for weeks!"

"You're joking, right. Dad?" Cyc said. Orin's eye ridge was just raised and stayed frozen in place.

"Of course not, son," Brontes said, as he flexed his muscles. "I'm not gonna be in shape like this for the rest of my life, and you know a lot of women find older men attractive, so why not spread my gift out?"

"You're joking, right, Dad?" Cyc repeated.

"No, no, no!" Brontes said. He set his cup down. "Give me a sec! Let me find my outfit from back in the day! I still have it!"

He hurried away. Orin and Cyc looked at each other, baring the same expressions as Cyan and Cassy had the other day.

Brontes dug through his old chest, pulling out old bed sheets, and papers with phone numbers scrawled on them, old musty books from his school days, trophies and such. Towards the bottom of the chest, Brontes noticed several loose brown pages, wrapped in protective coverings, spread around the chest.

"Huh?" he said and collected them. It was the diary, and it was all spread haphazardly. "AH!"

Brontes gathered the pages and browsed through them, placing them in order… Oh thank the Gods…they were all there. He straightened the pages, gently set them aside, and continued with his excavation. _'Damn mice, they always getting into things.' _

Finally the trunk was empty of all its contents, and Brontes found his striped undergarments. Looking into the empty chest, he thought for an odd moment that there had been a translator in here once, back from his school days. He thought he recalled tossing it in there years ago.

He glanced through the other contents before returning them to the chest. There was no translator among them…oh well, he could have just tossed it into another chest, as it was years ago, and it was just a translator. Nothing important. Cyc might have borrowed it once for one of his classes. He could have even given it away too. Or threw something in the chest that he had mistaken for a translator. Either way, it wasn't anything important.

Brontes pulled on his undergarments. '_Huh…' _he thought. '_Why is it things have a tendency to get smaller when they're kept in a chest for many years.' _

"Hey, guys! What do you think?!" Brontes exclaimed, strolling into the living room, flexing himself. "Pretty hot stuff, huh?!"

Both Cyc and Orin spit their coffee out loudly.

Okay, now it's true that most Cyclops are all pretty full of themselves, and like to think of themselves as God's gift to women. Brontes was certainly no exception. And all Cyclops were used to seeing others of their kind constantly flaunting themselves off at people.

But needless to say, Cyclops or not, having your own dad waltz into the room wearing nothing but a skimpy underwear, was terrifying enough for even Cyc and Orin.

"Dad!" Cyc said horrified, covering his eye, as Brontes swerved around the room, shaking his hips. "Please, I'm just about to eat breakfast!"

Orin didn't say anything, and just stared straight ahead out the window, trying desperately to focus on anything but the awful display in their living room.

"Just so you know, cousin…" Orin whispered to Cyc. "This is absolutely the _last_ time I ever spend a night at your place."

00000000000000000000

**New Olympus Bathhouse; 12:03PM: **

"You'd be amazed how hard it is to find cold drinking water in a bathhouse," Rion stated as Cassy came to. He held a glass of water in his hand. His face turned serious. "You all right?"

Cassy coughed, wiped her face, and looked up. There was water on her face still, and it took Rion a moment to realize that it was tears.

"That's not good is it?" Rion said. He leaned forward, "Can you tell me what happened…do you want to tell me what happened?

She hoarsely whispered into his ear, "Achilles… He's escaped."

"MISS!" Rion exclaimed to the secretary. "What's the safest room in here? Better yet…what's the most enforced room in here?"

The secretary looked perturbed for a moment, still irked after being sent to the water fountain to fetch cold water for the comatose Human.

"The locker room for the employees would be best, I guess, but why?" she stated.

"Good, I'm going to have to borrow it," Rion said and helped Cassy up. He pulled her towards the room. He waved to the secretary, "Thank you!"

Rion set Cassy down on a bench and locked the door behind them. "You should be okay here. Is a patrol coming to pick you up?"

She nodded.

Rion sat down beside. "I'm really sorry, Cassy."

She nodded.

He glanced at the door. "Did Taurus tell you when he escaped?"

"Eleven thirty," she hoarsely responded. "They don't know where he is currently."

Rion huffed and crossed his arms. He looked over at Cassy. He patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, it will be okay. They'll catch the bastard. You and I know Taurus is one the best damn officers out there."

Cassy nodded.

"That guy doesn't have the balls to come looking for you at this time of day, you'll be fine," Rion said. He put his arm around her. "You'll be okay. Trust me. I'll wait with you."

Ten minutes passed. Little was said. Rion wanted to know if Cassy wanted another glass of water, but she said no. She didn't want to be left alone, and the secretary seemed very irked as it was. Every shadow that passed through the slit under the dorm made her jump. The sound of a horn, a door slamming, the clip clops and footfalls of Centaur and Cyclops customers respectively made her body jump and shake. Rion just held her hand.

"You remind me of my little sister, she hated the sound of thunder," Rion stated, trying to comfort and cheer her up.

"You have a sister?" she asked.

"Had," Rion simply stated, and did not elaborate. "It will all be over soon, just like the storm."

For another moment it was quiet, and then a horned shadow formed behind the door. The door rattled as a massive fist came down on it. Cassy screeched, and nearly climbed up Rion. He gritted his teeth and whistled, as she pulled on fistfuls of his brown hair.

"Miss Williams!" a deep voice commanded. "Are you in there? It's Taurus, I have come to pick you up."

Rion helped Cassy up and to the door. Taurus stood there with half and dozen guards, armed to the teeth, standing behind him. Rion handed Cassy over to Taurus. Cassy quickly hid beside Taurus.

"Are you all right?" Taurus asked her concerned.

Cassy nodded, but didn't say anything.

"We've arranged transportation for you," Taurus told her. "It's not safe for you at your home right now, so Boreas has arranged for a safehouse, somewhere where Achilles shouldn't think of looking for you."

Cassy still didn't say anything, and just nodded.

'_Poor girl,'_ Rion thought. '_She must still be in shock. How terrible for her to have to go through all this again. How in Tartarus did the bastard ever manage to escape anyway???' _

"Rion?" Taurus said, seemingly noticing Rion for the first time. "What are you doing here?"

Rion smiled. "Cassy and I met last night," he explained. "We were hanging out for the day, and we just came here to refresh ourselves. When you called and gave her the news, I chose to stay with her till you guys came along."

Taurus nodded, and then seemingly had a thought. "Rion," he asked. "Perchance would you be able to come with us?"

At Rion's cocked eye-ridge, he shrugged. "Rion, I remember all too well your time at the Security force," he said. "You were one of the best and most promising law enforcement officers I ever schooled. Not to mention one of the best shots ever to aim a gun. I can't think of a better bodyguard for Cassy, at least until we get her to the safehouse."

Cassy seemed to come out a little of her daze, as she looked up at Taurus, startled when she heard that Rion had been a candidate for law enforcement? So he was a stripper, part time gardener, a student, and a cop, too?

Rion took a few seconds to think, but at Cassy's scared look, he sighed, nodding. "I'll do it," he agreed.

Taurus praised the Gods. "We have a squad outside to escort you home," Taurus told her. "Everything's been arranged, the squad will go wherever you go. Just pack your essentials, and be quick. You'll then be taken to the safehouse immediately after. Understand?"

"Yes," Cassy replied, still not looking him in the eye, but at least she was talking again.

As Rion walked out with her, Helios seemingly had a problem, as he went straight up to Taurus, looking angry.

"Taurus," he hissed at his commanding officer. "What right does Rion have to come with us? He isn't an official officer; he never even completed the program."

"Only because he wasn't there to collect his certificate," Taurus countered. "And besides, Helios… Last time I checked, I was the chief of security here, so I get to choose who I can and can not have on my team, okay?!"

Helios grumbled. "But it's against regulations to have a non-officer on assignment," he commented.

Taurus sighed, as Helios was right there. The rules were very clear about that.

"I know…and since when do you care about, or actually read the regulations?" he replied. "But officially, the assignment doesn't begin until Cassy is at the safehouse. Until then, I think we can afford to keep Rion with us till we leave Cassy's place. If you recall your regulations as well, during dire times, an officer is allowed to employ the services of an able bodied and nearby citizen. And this is a dire time, in case you have not seen the damage that monster did, and Rion does meet the criteria."

Helios grumbled, but finally seemed to comply with Taurus's wishes…slowly.

"Now…" Taurus began with a stern look. "Get back out there and keep an eye on your young charge, as ordered!!!" he commanded. "Do your job!"

Helios scampered to get out of the room.

Hearing Taurus snarl like that caused Cassy to jump again, as Rion loaded her up onto a hovercraft. Rion was on one side of her and supporting her, while a burly Titan was on her other side, acting merely as a wall. A towel was draped over, obscuring her from the public. The heavily scented towel (saturated in a mixture of floral fragrance and heady musk) was also an attempt to cover her smell.

"We're on the craft," Rion mumbled to her. It was a closed craft, unlike most that were open air. He led her to a seat and they both sat down. A dour looking Taurus was the last to enter. He sat down on the other side of Cassy.

The hovercraft's engine started and headed in the direction of Cassy's apartment.

"I hope this has not been particularly devastating for you, Miss Williams. We have some of our best men out looking for him. I myself am here personally to assure your safety," Taurus stated in typical Taurus fashion.

"What about Manty?" Cassy whispered.

"A patrol is picking him up at work even as we speak. You two will be reunited at the safehouse. Another patrol is scooping out your apartment, we have officers scouring every inch of this city and set up at strategic places along the borders," Taurus answered in the same tone. Like a manual, he recited, "You will have fifteen minutes total to collect any belongings you wish to bring with you. Food and bedding will be supplied at the safehouse."

The hovercraft stopped.

"Is it safe to exit?" Taurus asked.

"It looks clear out there!" a red-scaled creature said.

Taurus picked up his communicator. "Is the building secure?" he barked.

"Building secure, prepared for entry," the guard answered.

"Come, Miss Williams. You haven't much time," Taurus said, clasping Cassy by her elbow. He led her into the apartment. "Rion, take Miss Williams to her bedroom."

"Yes Sir," Rion said, as he turned to Cassy. "You lead the way."

In the bedroom, Rion stood guard as Cassy gathered what she could and shoved into her school satchel. She snatched up clothes, undergarments, her brush, toothbrush, hairpins…a few random things she spotted laying around her room.

"Perhaps you should bring something entertaining?" Rion suggested.

"Huh?" Cassy said, looking up.

"You know, it will get boring," Rion said. "Maybe bring a game or something, like a book?"

Cassy screwed her face, "Oh yeah, thank you."

She snatched up the translator and shoved it into her bulging satchel.

From her closet she grabbed a coat and a few more clothes, then requested for Rion to collect her pillows to take along.

"Smart move," Rion said. "Police issued pillows have a tendency of being lumpy and flat…you'd think they could afford better pillows."

"I will keep that in mind, Mr. Asterus," Taurus said, suddenly appearing in the doorframe. In a tone unlike the serious dour tone he had all day, he turned to Cassy and said. "Do you have everything you need, Miss Williams? Your fifteen minutes will soon be up."

"I have everything," she said, as she pushed her way past Taurus.

"Guards," he spoke into his communicator. "Prepare for departure. Building secure?"

Taurus listened, as his men reported. So far everything was still okay. "Alright, let's go," he said to Cassy and Rion.

Cassy didn't say anything, and just followed the security chief with Rion behind her.

They made their way down the elevator, stopping every few seconds to check with the next guard that everything was still secure, until they finally reached the ground floor.

"Keep close, Cassy," Taurus told her sternly. After making one final check with the guards outside, he led her outside to the waiting vehicle.

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**A Few Minutes Later; Somewhere Outside The City: **

The hovercraft slowed down to halt, as it neared its destination.

They had left New Olympus city, and thanks to the extreme speed of the hovercrafts, they had reached their destination in almost no time flat.

Their destination was a large house set high in the mountain. It was so big that Cassy guessed that it had been designed to fit any member of New Olympians, from tiny Cupids to large Cyclops. The house was more of a mansion really, and was built right into the mountainside. The Gargoyles' home was close by, but still a good glide away. As far as Cassy knew, they didn't have much to do with the safehouse.

The reason why no one knew of the safehouse was because of the holographic generator emitters that were placed all around it. They gave the illusion that there was nothing here, but simple mountainside scenery.

Because New Olympus was usually a safe haven, for New Olympians anyway, there hadn't been that many serious cases of criminal activity, nor any need for citizens to go into hiding. But Boreas had wanted every precaution to be taken, and thus had authorized the construction of the safehouse.

There was also another reason for the safehouse. In the event that an outside force, namely Humans, ever found out about New Olympus and chose to invade them… this safehouse was one of the last few safe hiding places on the island, where some of them could escape to.

The few people who did know about the safehouse were sworn to secrecy, and weren't to reveal its existence to anyone under any circumstances. Apart from Cassy, only one or two other people had ever had to go into hiding once, and as soon as they had left the safehouse, they too were sworn to secrecy.

The craft landed on a small landing bay, which opened up right beneath them, and closed behind them.

Rion helped Cassy with her things, as she disembarked form the craft, observing the place. He followed behind her.

"Cassy!"

Cassy turned at once to the welcome voice of her adoptive father, as Manty soared past the two guards at the door, running up to her.

"Oh my poor dear," he said sorrowfully. "I'm sooo sorry! Are you alright?"

"I've been better," she replied. "How's the place look?"

"It's not that bad, Cassy dear," Manty said. He had arrived an hour early, and it was obvious he had spent the entire hour pacing back and forth. "We can get some programs in on the screen!" he told her, as he led her from the landing bay, and through the doors.

The doors led to a staircase, which then went up to a large living room, at least four times the size of their own back home.

There were many channels of fuzz before a picture formed. "Okay, we only get a few programs. That's pretty good for the mountains isn't it, dear?"

Cassy smiled. "I guess."

"Sorry about that," Taurus told them apologetically. "When they were building this place, they didn't think to consider getting in good reception."

Cassy sat down on the couch, hugging one of her pillows, and just looked around. Rion set down the rest of her belongings. In a way, it was just like taking a weekend break out in the mountains, except it was wrought with tension.

"Would you like me… perhaps… bring anything else you would like to the safehouse?" Taurus offered.

"I believe we'll be okay," Manty said, unpacking what few items he had in his suitcase. He placed framed photographs from his office desk on a few bare shelves. One was of a picture of Cassy, taken just a month after landing on the island.

Manty, in slight mirth said, "That should lighten the room. Give us a little bit of time, Taurus, and then we'll start complaining."

"Indeed," Taurus said. He handed a communicator to Cassy. "Miss Williams, whenever you feel threatened, just press the button. Got that?"

"Yes I do, Taurus," Cassy said.

Suddenly, a beeping noise sounded on Taurus's belt, and he checked his belt for his communicator.

"What is it?" Cassy asked fearfully. Manty too had a look of worry on his face.

"It's alright," Taurus reassured them. "It's just a call from the office…I have to go back and see some of the shrinks who were seeing Achilles."

"You're not leaving us here alone, are you?!" Manty said a little outraged.

Taurus held up his hand to calm his friend. "My deputies are all here," he said. "They'll see to your safety and needs. Don't worry, Manty. We have taken every precaution, I assure you." He then looked over to Cassy. "And that goes double for you too, Cassy," he promised. "I swear to you, we will get Achilles…He won't hurt you again!"

Cassy looked at him for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "Will you be telling Cyc and Cyan where I am?" she asked.

Taurus shook his head. "Definitely not," he said. "No one except essential personnel is to be made aware of the situation. That way, there's no chance of Achilles finding out about this place."

"Why are the psychologists asking to see you?" Manty asked suddenly.

Taurus shrugged. "Achilles has been with them for a while now," he replied. "They may have found something out about him that could be useful… At this point, we can't leave anything to chance."

Rion patted Cassy on the shoulder. "You be okay now."

She smiled and nodded. Rion waited a moment and left.

Taurus trudged out the door, shutting it loudly behind him. Locks joined together, and then it was silently. Nothing could be heard from the outside.

Manty clasped his paws together. "So what would you like for dinner, Cassy?"

"I dunno," Cassy said. "What do we have?"

"Hmmm," Manty walked over to the kitchen, built into the living room. He opened the pantry, well stocked. "Well, we have plenty of canned foods…and dried foods and seasonings…I think we can rustle something up! Come, Cassy, I'm not cooking unless you help out."

Cassy stood up, still holding her pillow. She took a few steps, before realizing she was still holding the pillow. She tossed it onto the couch.

Cassy explored another pantry. "Wow, there is some good stuff here."

"I'm pretty sure we can make something good," Manty said, examining a can.

They sorted through the cans, and the bags of dried food, before making a pile of ingredients for dinner.

On the stove, Manty re-hydrated strips of eggplant for a casserole, which he then put in a pot of warm water.

Cassy opened cans of sauce, made from a vegetable similar to tomatoes, only a little less sweet. To the sauce she added chopped garlic and a few different herbs.

"I think this dried eggplant is past its prime," Manty observed. The strips simply turned mush instead of reforming into thick spongy strips. "I guess we can just spread it out."

Cassy laughed.

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**Manty and Cassy's Apartment Building; 01:36PM:**

Cyan trotted up to Cassy's apartment building, just as Cyc exited.

"Yo, Cyc!" she said.

"Yo, horse girl! Cassy isn't home," he said. "Neither is Manty."

"Serious?" Cyan said. "I'd thought she'd be home by now."

"Huh? Where did she go?" Cyc asked.

"She went to the park," Cyan answered.

"To the park?" Cyc asked, cocking his eyebrow. "To walk around?"

"Of course not! Not to walk around anyway," Cyan answered. "One of your co-workers invited her there…Orion, Rion, the cute brown Minotaur."

Cyc made a face for a moment. "Oh."

Cyan became worried. "Is something wrong? Is there something I should be worried about?"

Cyc laughed. "No, no, no. Cassy's in _no danger _with good ol' Rion."

"Well, that's good," Cyan said. "I guess she's having a good time then."

"You wanna go get lunch or dinner or something?" Cyc asked. He pulled out a large wad of cash and flipped through it. "I'll pay…I came into a large quantity of money last night…"

Cyan rolled her eyes and started trotting down the street. "You pay, but I don't even wanna _touch_ that money. Who knows where that's been!"

"You know," Cyc chuckled, following behind her.

"Shuddup, I was trying to block that out of my memory!" Cyan joked. She stopped in front of an alleyway. "Hey! Wait! I just remembered something."

"What?" Cyc said with an evil grin.

"Early this morning, I was out for my morning jog and I ran into Taurus sneaking through the back alleys," Cyan said. "He was standing back at one of the dumpsters."

"Really?" Cyc said. "You know the guy is a cop, you could have ruined a sting or something."

"I ruined something, because he was really red faced when I said hi to him. He said hi back, asked how my day was going, you know… morning talk. He seemed really nervous. And he had a box with him," Cyan said. "When I jogged pass, I saw it was full of baby stuff…real cute baby things, like blankets and stuff. He didn't want anyone to see it."

"Serious?" Cyc said as they started strolling down the road.

"Yeah, it must have been for Cassy. I guess he wanted to play dad," Cyan said.

"Huh," Cyc said. "Who would have thought he'd be the type to play daddy."

As they walked off, joking about Taurus's attempt at family life, they didn't notice the dark silhouette in the alley beside them, a shadow with rage-filled eyes, growling in contempt.

'_HOW DARE HE!' _Achilles snarled, tightening his fists. '_ATTEMPT TO STEAL MY WOMAN? ATTEMPT TO TAKE MY CHILD? TAURUS WILL PAY!'_

_A child…a baby…his child…_

Achilles shook the anger from his head.

_His…_

He snorted. He had to find her before Taurus took her way again. He had to find her before Taurus took what was, and what was going to be rightfully his. From the back of his mind to the tip of his nostrils, he could sense her…he could smell her…he leapt over the brick wall of the alley and raced away.

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**New Olympus Security Centre 01:49PM: **

Taurus made his way to the Psychology area of the centre. It was a place where all the top shrinks of the island would get together to determine the most likely of events that a deranged criminal might take.

He found it infuriating that they would contact him when he was supposed to be taking care of Cassy, but he couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of his duty. Besides, he needed all the help he could get to find Achilles as soon as possible.

"Doctor Odysseus?" Taurus said, as he entered the office, and saw the Nymph director of the mental institute. He was also one of the island's top psychologists. "I trust you have a few things for me?"

"Indeed, sir," Odysseus remarked. "First, let me assure that Achilles' escape was none of my doing, and was not the fault of me or any of my staff."

"Then how, pray tell," Taurus said sarcastically. "Did he manage to get out of a so-called maximum security cell?!"

Odysseus shrugged. "I wish I knew," he replied. "We took every precaution, we saw to his sedation, enforced his chains, had a top level force field erected around his cell. Despite his enormous strength, that should have been more than enough to hold him and a dozen more like him."

"So how did he do it?!" Taurus demanded.

Odysseus rubbed his forehead. "The chains had been weakened, but even without them, the rest of his cell should have adequate to hold him… I wish I could tell you how he escaped, but the fact is… we're as stumped as you are." He then seemed to realize something. "Oh, but we did find something a tad peculiar… It was Achilles' chains no less."

"What?"

Odysseus reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small pad with information regarding Achilles' binds. "The chains, as I said, had been weakened. We thought at first that he had just strained them to the point of breakage, but… We were wrong." He handed Taurus the pad.

Taurus eyed the information acutely, and then widened his eyes a little in surprise. "They were chewed?" he asked amazed.

Odysseus nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. "We can't explain it. We had them tested, so they are definitely bite marks, but… they're not Achilles." At Taurus's confused look, he continued. "The bite marks are way too small to be Achilles. They seem to be consistent with that of the small rodent family."

"A rat???"

"Actually, more like a mouse," Odysseus corrected him, even taking his glasses off and enlarging the marks on the chain.

Taurus gazed at the doctor strangely. "Doctor," he said. "I may not be a doctor, a Veterinary, or any such expert in this field… But I do know that extra thick metal chains are not on a mice's diet."

"We do, too," Odysseus said, looking tired. "Like I said, we can't explain it. But the tests are conclusive."

Taurus frowned, straining his eyes at the results, but the doctor was correct. The test results all confirmed what he was saying, which now left the big question…What kind of a mouse would have the strength, stamina, and the stomach to chew off a whole length of chain?

"Did you find anything else?" Taurus asked hopefully.

The doctor shook his head. "Nothing aside from the camera, which you already have," he reported.

Taurus groaned. It looked like this case was going to be another of them hard to crack ones. "What's your psychological profile on the escapee?" he asked. Maybe they could get some information from Achilles' profile instead?

Odysseus sighed. "Severely disturbing I'm sorry to say," he answered. "All of his rage seems to be directed from the mistreatment the suffered as a child at the hands of his elders. But also at the city itself."

"Why?"

Odysseus shrugged. "Multiple reasons," he summarized. "Maybe he blames the city for not finding out what his parents were doing to him, for not coming to his rescue, and for treating him like an outcast just because of the way he looks?"

Taurus gave a bitter snort at that. He had to admit that Achilles was right there. If it was one thing his city had, it was a prejudice against those different from them. Despite their greatest efforts, their great achievements, and the fact that many of them had strode to live together in peace, harmony and co-existence…they still had a tendency to mistreat others that were not altogether of their race.

"What do you believe will be his first target?" Taurus then asked.

Odysseus rubbed his forehead again. "To be honest, I'm not completely certain," he said. "If he were any other criminal, I'd say he would first attempt to hide himself from you and your security. Then once that was secure, he would go after those who hurt him the most, those he had the biggest grudge against… "

"His parents?" Taurus concluded for him, and he couldn't help remembering what he had seen on the video camera. If what Doctor Odysseus said was true, Senator Raon was in a lot of trouble.

Odysseus nodded. "But like I said," he carried on. "Achilles isn't your average everyday patient… Whether it's from his years spent alone in the wild outside the city, or his abuse from his elders, or if he was just born this way… Achilles tends to act more than think. He relies only on his most primitive needs and instincts. He's totally ruled by his emotions, his rage. If someone hurts him, he doesn't stop to think if he should talk to them or such, he just immediately lashes out. He could be perfectly sane and happy one minute, and the next, completely aggressive. See in these brain scans."

Odysseus placed up several different, brightly coloured, flimsy cells splotched with red and yellow, blue and green. He pointed to one of the scans. "This is a normal brain, note the large quantities of yellow and red, that is brain activity, and it is mostly towards the front of the brain, as well as spread throughout the brain."

He then pointed to one of the other scans. "This is Achilles' brain, note the lack of red and yellow? And what red and yellow there is based towards the back of the brain, the brain stem, which is the most primitive part of the brain…They are in charge of movement, hormones, emotions, sex drive, and hunger-survival to say. Achilles is purely ruled by this part of his brain. He has not developed any other parts of his personality, hence the spaces of blue and green, lack of activity."

Taurus frowned. This definitely did not sound good at all. "Is there anything at all that you think could help us?" he hoped.

Odysseus chewed on his lower lip, as he contemplated his escaped patient. "There is one other thing," he said. "But I doubt you're going to like it, Chief Taurus."

"I never like anything when it's afflicted with an escaped lunatic," Taurus remarked. "Now what is it?!"

Odysseus sighed. "Like I said," he told him. "Achilles thinks with his emotions, and relies completely on his instincts… In a way, his actions are very similar to how our ancestors must have acted once in ancient times, since they did not have materials to develop their brains."

"You mean he's acting like a caveman?" Taurus asked astounded, remembering the Human term that Cassy had once told him about.

Odysseus half-shrugged, obviously also familiar with the term. "So to speak," he continued. "Unfortunately, my expertise in the behaviour of prehistoric Olympians is a little rusty, so I called in the advice of a colleague at the Natural Museum."

"And?"

"From what I've been told, if Achilles' behaviour is indeed consistent with that of ancient Olympians, and with what Achilles has done already…there's every chance he could be going after the Human, Miss Williams, first."

Taurus swore silently. He had suspected this from the beginning, but had hoped he would be proven wrong. "Explain?" he demanded.

Odysseus looked uncomfortable, as it was a well-known fact that Taurus had a special fondness for the Human in question. "Well," he began hesitantly. "As you know…Achilles did… violate Miss Williams… And the two of them do have something in common."

Taurus glared murderously at the doctor. "Cassy has absolutely nothing in common with that monster!"

The doctor held up his hands. "Forgive me, Chief Taurus, but I'm afraid she does have one thing in common with him."

"What?!"

The doctor explained. "The one thing these two have in common… is their disassociation from society."

"Huh?"

"Both Miss Williams, being a Human, and Achilles being what he is…has each earned them the disrespect of this city. Achilles is a product of two Olympians who didn't undergo Genetic Treatment before conception, something that is highly frowned upon on by our people. And Miss Williams, well, I don't think I need to tell you about her, her being Human and all."

At Taurus's continuous glare, he quickly added. "I'm not saying it is right, Taurus. But that is the way things are at the moment. And in Achilles' ill formed mind, that alone makes him think that he and Miss Williams are practically soulmates, so to speak. Which is most likely the reason why he took her in the first place, and mated with her. "

Taurus began to realize what Odysseus was saying. "So in his mind…" he deduced, "he and Cassy are now official mates…He did mate with her back in the jungle, so that means he…" Taurus suddenly realized something important. "Dear Gods…"

Odysseus nodded. "In his mind, Cassy is now and forever his mate. If he is indeed behaving like a primitive Olympian, then he will most likely go after her first."

"And I may have just delivered her right to him," Taurus's eyes were full of horror. "Dear Gods, what have I done?!"

"Pardon?"

Taurus snatched up his communicator, dialling the number for the safehouse, but all he got for his trouble was static. "Damn it!"" he swore. "There must be some interference!"

"Chief Taurus, what is…"

"Achilles mated with Cassy, correct?" Taurus looked at him wildly.

"Err, yes," Odysseus replied.

"If what I remember from my prehistoric lessons is correct," Taurus went on. "Then whenever an ancient Olympian chose a mate, and then mated with them… they left an imprint, something of themselves on them, a piece of their own scent in a way?"

Odysseus nodded. "That's right. It was sort of like a calling card, or a warning to other potential males, warning them to back off, that this female was taken. So what?"

Taurus looked at him as though he were an idiot. "Haven't you guessed?!…We know already that Achilles has enormous strength compared to most other Olympians. What if his other senses, like his smell, are just as enhanced???"

Odysseus's eyes widened, as he deduced Taurus's logic. "So he might be able to sniff Miss Williams out? It would make sense, even though much of his brain is under developed, his olfactory, in the more primitive part of his brain, would be overdeveloped and much more keener than our own. "

"We made arrangements, just in case Achilles was able to do that," Taurus explained. "But if Achilles smell is really as enhanced as I believe, and if Cassy's scent is now mixed together with his…then he might have a better chance at locating her than we thought! I have to get back to the safehouse immediately!"

Not waiting to see if Odysseus had anything more to say, Taurus fled out of the room, and out the building, straight to his hovercraft.

00000000000000000000

**Safehouse, 02:04PM: **

Cassy burped a little, as she finished the last of the meal she and Manty had prepared. The eggplant had definitely been out of date. At least the sauce covered its bland, dusty taste…thought it was still very, very chewy. Manty actually growled like a dog, as he attempted to chew through his meal.

Cassy salvaged what she could. She was not that hungry anyway.

"I think I'll go check out my room now," she said, getting up from the couch. "I hope the beds at least comfortable?"

"Good idea," Manty agreed. "I'll check out mine, just as soon as I've checked on the guards."

"Why?" she looked at him curiously.

Manty shrugged. "We've got to get rid of this casserole with the dried eggplant somehow," he said.

Cassy laughed.

"I'll be back in a moment, hon," he said, as he made his way out the door, after disabling all the locks and bolts on it.

Cassy picked up her pillows and her satchel and headed to her room. Her room was small…and bare. There was a bed, a nightstand, and a wooden desk with a chair. The sheets of the bed were a light, dull yellow colour and there were two lumpy looking pillows at the head of the bed. She tested the mattress. It was cushiony…perhaps a bit too cushiony. She placed her own pillows on the bed. There was a small-framed picture of a view of Mount Thanatos on the nightstand. It made the room feel just a bit roomier.

She emptied her satchel. She placed her clothes in the drawers of the nightstand, put a few items on the desk, and hung the satchel on the bedpost. She picked up the translator and leaned back in the bed…just trying to forget her surroundings. She should have brought her little radio. She doubted it would have picked up waves through the thick walls of the safehouse, but it would have been nice just to have, just another little bit of her room to add.

She read on.

_Perhaps it is my own fear talking, or the Fates whispering in my ear, but even after the Cyclops leaves us alone for the moment… I can still feel part of him inside of me…growing. _

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"That stuff is disgusting," a guard said, spitting a chunk of eggplant onto the ground.

"The sauce is okay," another guard added.

"So what are you guys eating?" Manty asked.

"Whatever we bring for lunch," the one guard said.

"I don't suppose you guys could sneak in some fresh eggplant for us, could you?" Manty asked.

"Well…" one guard said. "After tasting that junk, I suppose I can. I don't think transporting vegetables is against regulations."

"You know Taurus would do it," the other guard stated.

There was rumble of thunder.

"Is there a storm in the area?" Manty asked.

"Um, I don't think so," a guard said.

Something loudly crashed, so it was definitely not thunder. It was more metallic, like some a vehicle hitting the door.

One of the guards motioned the others to remain silent, as he walked nearer to the door…

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Meanwhile, from inside her temporary bedroom, Cassy sat reading the ancient Greek woman's diary. She felt her heart go out to the poor woman who had written this. She couldn't believe that all the times when she had been writing these words, she had been prisoner of a sadistic group of Cyclops.

She knew a lot of Cyclops had a wild tendency, Cyc as well, but she never believed that any of them could resort to this, even if it was thousands of years ago.

"We're centuries apart," she said out loud. "We come from different countries, different cultures, but we share one common trait… We were both robbed of our innocence, too young."

Cassy put the pat away, sighing. She wondered what the Olympians would say if they saw this little reading material? She had once attempted to bring a little light to the complete truth of some of their ancestors, thanks to her old school presentation, but the kids there had been all too quick to forget it, and not many of the adults had heard of it.

Well, they had heard of it, but because she was so young, they didn't pay too much attention to it. After all, she was a kid, and a Human one at that… What did she know about New Olympus's history?

Cassy then thought of something, as she stared down at the rucksack lying on her bed where the pad/translator was being stored.

'_If they won't listen to me,' _she thought. '_Maybe they might… ' _

"Hello, lover," a harsh voice suddenly sounded.

Cassy froze.

She didn't need to run around to see who had spoken, for she had heard that voice millions of times in her sleep, and even when she was awake, in her imagination.

Something large and heavy stepped across the thick carpet, over towards her, and a few moments later, a heavy muscular arm curved around her waist, hugging her close.

"I believe we need to talk," Achilles whispered into her ear.

**To Be Continued… **


	12. Chapter 12

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

"_Guards," he spoke into his communicator. "Prepare for departure. Building secure?" _

_Taurus listened, as his men reported. So far everything was still okay. "Alright, let's go," he said to Cassy and Rion. _

_Cassy didn't say anything, and just followed the security chief with Rion behind her._

_00000000000000000_

_As they walked off, joking about Taurus's attempt at family life, they didn't notice the dark silhouette in the alley beside them, a shadow with rage-filled eyes, growling in contempt. _

'_HOW DARE HE!' Achilles snarled, tightening his fists. 'ATTEMPT TO STEAL MY WOMAN? ATTEMPT TO TAKE MY CHILD? TAURUS WILL PAY!'_

_A child…a baby…his child…_

_Achilles shook the anger from his head. _

_His…_

_0000000000000000_

"_Hello, lover," a harsh voice suddenly sounded. _

_Cassy froze._

_**-The Darkness within, Part I-**_

_**And Now, The Continuation: **_

**Earlier That Day; Outside Cassy's Apartment Building: **

He had slunk through the alleyways, like a snake hell bent on a mission of stealing an egg from a bird's nest. Achilles has made it to the back of Cassy's apartment…yes…he remembered it well. Ixion had showed it to him.

"_And here's the home of your future girlfriend! We're gonna get her for you tonight…just for you, man, since we're such great friends." _Ixion put his arm around Achilles shoulder. "_You're gonna love her."_

A grin cracked across Achilles' black mouth, filled with anticipation, much like it did then. He licked at the saliva dripping from his lip.

A smell distracted him. It emanated from the dumpster just a few feet ahead of him.

Achilles trotted up to the dumpster. He attempted to open it, but found it locked; only members of that particular apartment complex had access to the dumpster. With a snarl, he cracked the iron cuff on his wrist against the lock, breaking it. He tore the top off and flung it against the wall He grabbed a bag out of the dumpster and slashed it open, inside were papers, the dried remains of food, and several shreds of clothing. He picked up a dirty, bloodstained rag and inhaled its scent, peaches and cream mixed with the iron smell of blood, his sweat, and the scent of the earth of his hut.

Beautiful…

"Yo, Cyc!"

It was muffled. Achilles stuffed the shredded cloth into the iron ring around his waist. He crept up along the wall, blending into the shadows. He knew those two…two of Cassy's friends. He had taken them before, so it should be an cinch. Then again the traffic that was overtaking their conversation may prove to be a danger as well. He could not afford to get caught. Perhaps if he wanted it out, he could quickly snatch the little female Centaur…yes, and the big Cyclops would follow after them.

"_I'd thought she'd be home by now_."

Achilles shook and began to slink back into the shadows.

"_Where did she go?_"

"_To the park…"_

To the park, that is where she is. They had given him all he needed to know without him enjoying beating it out of them. It did not satisfy him, especially since the big Cyclops…Cyc…made several rude references to _his mate_. But his mate was all he had, he could not afford to lose her and let her fall into the hands of Taurus. He snarled. He should have broken his head off, instead of that horn. To claim his mate and child!

Attempt to steal his woman! His child! Oh so many will pay, he would have to find her first! To keep her safe…to keep them safe…keep them his.

He charged down the alleyway, leaving crushed garbage cans and garbage scattered in his wake before thundering over a wall.

He followed her scent. It was weak wavering, the passing vehicles and the heat of the day threatened to wash it away as he searched. The trail split…one went in the way of the park…he assumed…the other went down an alleyway…it was much stronger, much fresher. Achilles sneered and followed the trail.

It did not take him long to find it…well…he found the Security hovercraft first. Draped over its handle bars was a towel…a towel Cassy had used in the bathhouse…the towel that the unfortunate guard picked up to clean off his hands and forehead, and forgot to return to the bathhouse, and had brought it with him.

He picked the towel off and inhaled the odour…yes her smell was there, it was stronger than that on the rag, but it was tinged with the smell of soap, cologne, and other people. It stung for him to breathe it, but he still managed a second sniff.

Yes she was here…but where was she? Achilles tucked the towel into the band around his waist. He heard noise from the alleyway, but he knew it was not she… as her scent ended with the towel.

There was the static cry of a communicator from behind the building, a former warehouse now broken down and empty, the entire area was nothing more than abandoned buildings, just a few months shy of being demolished for some new construction projects. It was the ideal place for riff-raff, thieves, and insane convicts to hide away. Achilles backed up into one of the buildings.

A guard strolled out from between two buildings.

"Got nothing here, place is empty," he spoke into communicator. He seemed unnerved, surrounded by ghostly gaping buildings. "He most likely just passed through…you know…like a ghost, like when we first fought the guy. He could be anywhere."

"Chief Taurus wants you to check out by the wharf, some of the kids have been saying there's a lot of caves and tunnels down there," a disembodied voice responded.

"Do you know how much that place freaks me out?" the guard stated. He clicked off his communicator and strolled up to his hovercraft. He stopped, realizing that the towel was no longer on the handlebars. He glanced on the ground and around his feet.

"Looking for this?" Achilles asked, strolling out of the building, swinging the towel on one of his fingers. He stepped farther out into the light, revealing his full form. "Looking for me?"

"Oh damn!" the guard swore and faltered, going for his gun.

In shaking hands he managed only one shot at Achilles, who blocked it easily with the cuffs around his wrists. The guard dropped his gun, as Achilles attempted to fall on him. The guard only managed a few steps before Achilles grabbed him by his collar. He dragged the guard into the warehouse like a spider drags a beetle into its trap.

"Where is she?" he snorted, his eyes and nostrils burning red as blood.

"I dunno!" the guard screeched back. "Where is who?"

"My mate! Where is she!" he snarled shaking the guard.

"I dunno! They took her to some secret facility!" the guard screeched back.

"Where's that?" Achilles snorted, pulling the guard up to his face.

"I dunno! It's a secret!" the guard exclaimed.

Snap!

Achilles snapped a finger back.

"I'm just a subordinate guard! They don't tell me stuff like this!" the guard screamed like a school child.

Snap!

"I'm not lying! They didn't tell me!"

"Do you have a family?"

There was silence.

"A family? A mother and father, a wife, children? Tell me!" Achilles asked, revealing his teeth and licking his lips. The guard was silent. Two fingers broken and blood pouring down his arm from the wounds. "Sister, brothers? A family, do you have one?"

No answer.

"You have a very unique smell… just like my mate does. How do you think I found you? I followed her scent on the towel…it's a very unique smell, and it was very easy for me to find it and you. Your smell, it smells of spice and old leather and the broken bark of trees…I bet your family smells just like that…maybe not your wife, but your parents and maybe your children, they'll have your smell, or something similar…you know…close enough for me to know they're yours. I wonder if their fingers would break as easily or as loudly as…"

Snap!

"It's in the mountain! The mountain! Somewhere in the mountain!" the guard cried. "I don't know anything else, I just overhead Chief Taurus-"

[Whump!

Achilles cracked the guard across the side of the head, knocking him out. "**DON'T SAY THAT NAME!"**

He dropped the guard's limp form on the dusty ground of the warehouse. From around his neck he snapped off the key to the hovercraft. He left the building. On the floor the communicator, knocked from the guard's belt in the scuffle, buzzed with static and a faint voice of the operator.

With one stomp, Achilles crushed it into dust, leaving only a faint buzzing in the wiring. Soon that faded into nothingness.

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**Control Tower: **

"Talos!" one of the guards exclaimed. "Phineas's communicator just went out. I can't get a signal."

"Where is he currently stationed?" Talos asked.

"Down in the old trade district," the guard answered.

"That is a distance away, however by my calculations not enough for his communicator to stop signalling," Talos stated. "Does it appear that it had a poor battery?"

"No sir," the guard answered. "It was a steady signal, not signs of fading."

"Who is the closest patrol?" Talos asked.

"That would be Libra and Aquarius," the guard answered. "They're about two city blocks away in the marketing district."

"Send them to the approximate area of Phineas's last signal," Talos stated. The guard flicked on a microphone around his neck and began to type in coordinates to reach the patrol.

Five minutes went by…

"They found him!" the guard shouted. The guard's face was flushed with bile. "That…that…that thing got him."

There was startled gasps and whimpers from the other staff members.

"What is his current condition?"

"They didn't say," the guard answered.

"I want all available patrols sent in that area immediately. Inform Chief Taurus that there has been an attack. Achilles should still be in the general vicinity," Talos stated.

"Ah...Phineas's hovercraft is missing," the guard quickly stated. "It's nowhere, and his key's missing too…you don't think that thing could fly one of those…do you?"

Talos looked out the window. "I cannot compute that…unfortunately in this time I cannot also answer no to that question."

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Taurus was racing towards the mountain when the communicator on his hoverbike began to beep. That specific ring tone could only come from one person. He clicked it on.

"Any news, Talos?" he asked.

There was buzzing and beeping, as the transmission came through.

"We…have…a…problem-"

"Has Achilles found the safe house?" Taurus quickly spoke, almost bringing the hovercraft for a halt.

"…No…"

"Oh thank the gods…." Taurus exhaled into the wind and the hovercraft stopped fully.

"Chief Taurus…"

The relief quickly subsided. Stiffly, Taurus asked, "What's the problem?"

"He's incapacitated a guard, and quite possibly stolen his hover bike. We have yet to locate the missing bike…we believe it may be in Achilles' possession…and it is possible that he has abducted a civilian to use the hovercraft, but that currently is unknown…"

"Oh damn…" Taurus stated, shutting the communicator off. He pressed down the accelerator. He was too aware of just how important a few seconds were.

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**Outside New Olympus; The Safehouse: **

Cassy wanted to be strong, to stare her enemy in the face and show no fear… but instead all she could do was stand there helplessly, as Achilles wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her affectionately, causing her to shudder violently in terror.

Achilles seemed to find this amusing, as he chuckled softly, brushing his thick lips against the base of her neck.

"I had almost forgotten that sweet scent of yours," he said casually, as his nostrils flared against her skin. "Like fresh fruit," he moaned softly, as he licked her. "_Sooo_ sweet."

"H-how did you escape?" Cassy stuttered nervously, trying hard to steady her nerves.

Achilles chuckled. "Let's just say I have friends in high places," he said. "You never came to visit," he then said almost accusingly.

Cassy almost stared at him in disbelief. 'After all he did, he expected me to visit?' she thought.

"And you never told me," he then said, stroking her belly, indicating his point.

Cassy realized with shock that he must have found out about her would-be pregnancy. 'How could he possibly know that?'

"Achilles," she slowly started. "I'm not pregnant. I don't know how you heard about it, but I'm not."

Achilles gripped the base of her neck hard. "Don't lie to me!" he hissed dangerously.

"I'm not!" Cassy whimpered. "I thought I was, but I went to the doctors and had myself checked out, and it turns out I was wrong. I'm no more pregnant than you are, I swear!"

Achilles cursed lightly under his breath, still not releasing her. "This is a bit of a disappointment, I can tell you," he said, and then started stroking her neck affectionately again. "But you know what they say?" he said amusedly. "If at first you don't succeed… try, try again!"

Cassy felt her blood run cold, as she realized what he was saying. "Achilles, don't," she pleaded. "If you take me away again, they'll find you, and you can bet they'll never let you see the light of day again!"

Achilles snorted. "Like they were planning to let me do in the first place," he told her sarcastically. "You've forgotten what I taught you, Cassy… There's no place on this island for freaks like us. You're a human, and I'm a genetic mistake of birth. These are crimes that no New Olympian can forgive or forget…" He grinned darkly. "But I plan on making at least a few of them see the folly of their ways."

Cassy feared for her friend when he said that. "Don't harm, Cyc, Taurus or the others, I'll…" She choked, as Achilles applied more pressure on her neck.

"Never!" he swore, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and wrenching her from the ground. "Never mention that Minotaur's name in my presence… ever!"

'Where the hell are those guards?' Cassy prayed, feeling his breath across her face.

"We'll find a new place to live," Achilles told her, rambling on and setting her back on terra firma. "We can't go back to the hut, but I'll find us somewhere new to live… somewhere where we can be safe and alone, free to raise our children. I'll protect you; I'll protect you all. No one shall ever harm you," he swore.

'Yeah, except for you,' Cassy said mentally. Achilles began to drag her away.

"Where will we be going?" she said, gently prying at his fingers, getting him to loosen his grip.

Achilles loosened his grip in her, but kept his grasp around her neck. "I don't know yet," he said wondering. "But I'll find someplace… Mother will help me…"

'Mother?' Cassy thought, slightly startled. She remembered the stories he had told her about his mother who used to abuse him regularly, and who joined her husband in abandoning him alone in the forest when he was but a child. Why on earth would she be helping him now, and why the hell would he even want her to?

"But first things first," Achilles said, massaging her neck. "I saw my true enemy today, and I intend to even the score with him. "

"What… what do you mean?"

Achilles look was murder. "My father, my tormentor… I saw him at the institute where they locked me up. I promised him he would see me again, and I fully intend to keep that promise!"

His father???

Cassy became even more worried. She had just assumed that Achilles parents would be dead by now. But if they were still alive, then chances are they wouldn't be for long, not once Achilles got through with them.

"I… I've missed you," she said, hoping to get him off guard, while at the same time she tried to remember everything that Taurus had told her about the safehouse in case of an emergency. She recalled him saying there was a panic-room, a sort of safe where she and Manty could hide themselves in the case of an attack.

Achilles looked down at her and smiled. "No more than I you," he told her truthfully, and leaned down to kiss her.

Cassy tried to picture Taurus's face in front of her, instead of Achilles', but his distinct rusty aroma made it difficult.

Achilles leaned down, puckering his lips as he did so.

Cassy moved her head up supposedly to meet his kiss, but just as he was about to…

Cassy suddenly slammed her head forward; head-butting him as hard as she possibly could, so hard it reverberated through her skull.

"**BITCH!" **Achilles roared, as he grasped his now bleeding nose.

Cassy wasted no time, and made a dash to the left. She quickly remembered Taurus's instructions, and shouted. "House, safe!"

The house's installed computer automatically recognized the access code, and a nearby wall shimmered away, revealing an entrance to a secret room.

"**NO!"** Achilles struck out his arm to grab her, one hand covering his nose, but she was too quick. At the sight of the room, she raced over towards it, heading inside. The nanosecond she was in, the wall rematerialized just as Achilles ran into it. He was so close behind her she feared he would have been half stuck in the wall.

A loud thud was heard from inside the room, as Cassy breathed deeply to slow her heart down.

"**YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" **Cassy heard Achilles' murderous voice from the other side of the wall. "I'll get you eventually! You know I will… "

Cassy kneeled down to the floor, curling up in the corner, listening to him as he continued rambling on, but didn't dare whisper a single word. She covered her head with her hands and tucked her face into her knees.

After a while, Achilles quieted down, but his punches on the wall continued for a short while longer, but soon his knuckles were rubbed raw, and the punching seemed to have ceased.

"**NO! NO! NO!"** he was screaming to the point of crying-like a small child. It nearly ripped her heart out in terror and disgust. "**YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! MOTHER! MOTHER!" **

Occasionally he would strike at the wall, but most of the time he spent it pacing back and forth shouting, and soon the shouting faded away into muffled, childish pouts and sobs. During this period the punches became extremely brutal and sporadic, much like a child pouting and continually remembering what angered it and lashing out with every thought.

Cassy stayed where she was on the floor until she lost track of time. The house computer would have been able to tell her where Achilles was, or if he was still there, just by asking it, but at that moment she was unable to think clearly. All she knew was he was out there…and would stay there, and she was safe in here, as long as there was a wall between the two, she would be safe. Her head was too heavy, and her heart too worn out, for her to even get out of the corner.

Her thoughts jumbled, she didn't notice a second voice begin yelling through the wall.

_Cassy?! _

_Miss Williams? Cassy?_

A few seconds later, the door shimmered away again. Cassy looked up in fear, as a Minotaur's face came into view… Fortunately, this Minotaur was the wrong colouring, and did not have a gold beard. Taurus looked very relieved to the see the girl huddled in the corner-relieved to see her _here. _

"Taurus," Cassy sighed in relief, and ran to him. The hug reassured both of them that what they saw was not a mirage.

Taurus embraced her firmly. "It's okay," he said assuredly. He wiped the blood from her face (from when she struck Achilles), and was relieved to see no wound. "Manty is doing fine. He's a bit bruised up, but otherwise okay."

"What about the guards?" she asked, remembering her bodyguards, even though they hadn't exactly been living up to the title lately. "Where's Achilles?"

Taurus looked apprehensive, as he looked down at her. "We found them in the loading bay. Half of them are beaten up like Manty, while the others…" he looked down further, looking regretful. "Achilles is gone. He must have cleared out of here some time ago."

Cassy's eyes watered. "This is all my fault," she said hoarsely.

"No!" Taurus said fiercely. "Achilles did all this; he…"

"He came here for me," Cassy insisted. "If I had been alone, no one would have gotten hurt. I should have just left!"

Cassy tried to run, but Taurus kept a firm grip on her, even when she started hitting his chest with her bare fists. After a few moments she wept softly, burying her face in his chest. Taurus kneeled down supporting her.

"Sir?" Chiron asked, as he entered the room.

Taurus looked at him, and slowly detached himself from the young human. "Wait here, I'll be back," he promised.

Taurus left with Chiron, speaking as he did. "Have you found him?"

Chiron shook his head, frustrated. "No! The guy seems to have done a complete disappearing act. We've checked every square inch of this place, done multiple scans around the surrounding area… Nothing!"

Taurus frowned. "No one can vanish into thin air," he said. "Even Proteus, with his shape-shifting abilities, leaves at least some traces… And this guy Achilles, he's not exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. Therefore…" Taurus frowned even more.

"What is it?"

Taurus chewed on his lower lip. "Like I said… no one, least of all Achilles, can make an escape like this. So I'm betting… Achilles didn't do this alone."

"You mean…?" Chiron said shocked.

"I think Achilles might have a partner in this somewhere," Taurus deduced. "Only question is… who?!"

"You don't think he still has ties with Ixion, or at least his house?" Chiron asked.

"I do not think the Centaur House had anything to do with this," Taurus stated. "Only Ixion had any personal gains in his dealings with Achilles. His family didn't even know about Achilles, as far as we know. And I find it doubtful that they would need or find a use for a person as bipolar as Achilles, as well as have the equipment for containing and moving a person like Achilles without notice."

Taurus began to walk away towards the destruction of Achilles' wake.

"So it has to be someone higher in power than a house then?" Chiron said, trotting behind him.

"I fear so," Taurus answered. "Maybe even higher than we think…"

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**Outskirts of the City, 02:45PM: **

Achilles raced through the thickets of the forest, striking away the branches as he stormed through them. He had just scarcely escaped when a vision from his mother flashed through his mind-Taurus and the security officers armed to the teeth with guns and tranquillisers.

_Run...they'll take you away again, and lock you away underground, and you'll never find her…ever, _she hissed. The sounds of the hovercraft engines only fuelled his mad dash, as his mother brushed away his footprints like any good mother, sweeping away her toddler's muddy shoeprints.

When security arrived, armed with what with what they had on hand…mostly a few guns and communicators let alone tranquillisers and a massive guns like in Artemis's vision…they found nothing other than what remained of Achilles' entrance, nothing spoke of his exit albeit his absence from the scene.

'Gotta find her,' he thought hurriedly. 'Must find her. Have to get her back. Can't rest. Can't… '

"_My son…" _a female voice spoke to him, seemingly from everywhere at once.

"Mother!" Achilles cried out. "Mother! He took her away from me again! He took her away from me again!" He began to cry. "My mate's gone."

"_It is alright, my child,"_ Artemis spoke up, appearing from the brush. Achilles rushed to her and kneeled down, burying his head into her lap. She brushed the leaves from his hair and wiped away the blood on his face. His hands were scraped and bruised. "_Oh my poor, poor son, what injustices you have suffered, what loneliness you have dealt with…they do not deserve to treat you as such…"_

Achilles pouted softly.

"_There, there, my son_," she said patting his head. "_You have lost your love, but we will get her, we will get her back for you…tomorrow is another day."_

"He may take her away! He tried to take my baby away! My baby that does not exist, and he tried to take it away from me!"

"_Oh child…they want it all don't they?" _Artemis cooed.

"Yeah, they want it all, they won't let us be!" Achilles cried.

"_I know, child. They'll never let you be…" _she stroked his mane. "_But you have let them know…all of them who have harmed you…you've let them know that nothing will stop you from getting her back…you let them know you won't stop…you let them know that they can't do anything to stop you…their bondage…their poisons…their threats…are nothing. You freed yourself…you're out here, they're in there…you're prowling and they are in fear."_

Achilles pulled himself up and snarled in the direction of the city. "YES!"

He clenched his fist. His eyes burned like a forge. "Yes! Mother, nothing will stop me, I won't let them stop me!"

He turned fully to the city and reared up. "Hear that, New Olympus? I'll be back, I'll come back and there's nothing in the world you can do to protect yourself!"

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**Safe House: **

"MANTY!" Cassy cried out, throwing herself onto the stretcher.

"Hey, Cassy. It's good to see you're okay," Manty said, slightly hoarse, opening one battered eye. His other one was just a purple bruise and there was a black gape where one fierce canine stood.

Cassy cried and she held his paw. "Are you going to be okay?"

Manty chuckled. "A busted fang, haemorrhaging in the eye, and a mild concussion…I'm in pretty good shape for the beating he gave me."

To reassure her, he pulled her close and gave her a tight hug with his one leg. Comfort and anger flooded Cassy's body.

"Miss Williams, you better let go of your foster father, he will be needing medical attention as soon as possible," Taurus stated.

Cassy slowly pulled away from Manty, as the attendants lifted him up into the ambulance.

"What's going to happen now?" Cassy whimpered.

Taurus put his arm around her comfortingly.

"I will make sure that you and Manty have guards around the clock," he promised. "We'll supple the guards with all the maximum weapons and see to it that Achilles doesn't come within 50 millimetres of you… "

Cassy suddenly remembered. "Somehow, I don't think I'll be his next target," she said worriedly.

Taurus looked questioningly at her.

"Achilles mentioned that he had found his family…the family that abandoned him," Cassy told him. "I think he might go and try have revenge on them or something. The way he spoke of them, I don't think he could do anything else."

Taurus frowned. "I suspected as much," Taurus said silently. "We'll have our people look into it." He guided her over to one of the hovercrafts. "Go with Chiron. He'll see to everything."

Cassy nodded, and reluctantly released his hand, as she followed Chiron.

"Connect me to Boreas," Taurus ordered Helios.

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**Senate House, 03:06PM: **

"No," Boreas said, as Taurus finished his report on the viewscreen. "I agree with you, Taurus. It does sound likely that this Achilles must be working with someone, but for now I want you to remain close to Cassy, see that absolutely nothing happens to her this time… I will assign someone else to look into the possibility of Achilles' partner."

Taurus sighed on the viewscreen. "_As you wish, Boreas_," he saluted, and ended the call.

Boreas frowned, as he tapped his desk in frustration. "Fates damn you, Artemis," he swore. "What have you gone and done now?!"

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**Safe House, 03:37PM:**

Going through the wake of destruction caused by Achilles proved to be a more time-consuming task than Taurus had first thought. His men were busy with finding out how exactly Achilles had managed to get in, but what they saw so far hinted at simple, brutal strength, waltzing trough the rooms like a force of nature.

It was impossible that Achilles, for as incredibly strong as he was, could have achieved so much strength on his own or through natural means.

"Well, any ideas?" Taurus asked them while moving to the next room. He only wanted to get this done as fast as possible, so that he could return to Cassy. He felt that Achilles wouldn't rest until his mad goals were satisfied.

"Ideas? No. But this place is now rather useless, if you ask me," one of Taurus' men, a rather weak looking Gorgon-man told his boss. "Not only had he no problem with entering, getting through all security measures and guards, but he now also knows of this place. To put it bluntly, this place is no longer safe."

"This was the best safe house at our disposal. And he still had no problem with entering. This guy _must_ be a monster to manage all this, and still escape with his hide intact," a female Centaur added, while looking around. "I wonder why she hadn't heard anything of this...it must have sounded like a hurricane…"

"Soundproofing. With the door closed, she couldn't hear it from her room," Taurus said, when they arrived in the landing bay, or what was left of it.

"Look at this! He ripped it open, as if it was cardboard! Man, what kind of steroids is he on? A wonder that he was unable to bash down the wall," Helios exclaimed, while looking at what was left of the big door.

The big door was ripped open by brute force, letting in the daylight. The whole room was a mess, littered with debris and bloodstains, the walls now decorated with dozens of small burn marks from weapon fire. Either Achilles had managed to evade every shot, or the hits from the laser handguns had been nothing more than mosquito bites.

"He can't be weapon-proof, but he must have a really thick hide to shrug of the lasers from the small handguns," Helios added. "A reeeeaaaallllly thick hide."

"The question is now, where to hide her? This was our best hideout. The only thing we know is that he hasn't a hover vehicle at the moment..." Taurus started to think, while looking around. The smell of blood in the air he had to endure started to cause him headaches. "Continue without me for some minutes. I'm going out for some fresh air. I feel like the ceiling is falling down..."

Helios watched Taurus leave.

Helios had tried his best not to show it, but he really feared Achilles by now. He hadn't felt like this before; it was really scary. And the most disturbing thing was that this monster came from their city, he was one of them!

If you see your kind as generally superior, physically, mentally, and most of all morally superior, to humans, this was a hard blow to take. And it bothered him to no end.

For centuries, the New Olympians had done their very best, both mentally and physically, to suppress the darker side of their genes, the old instincts to hunt, feast, fight and kill. And this Achilles… it was as though he was all of the darkness of the entire island's occupants put together.

Walking on the walkway that led around the house, Taurus looked over the railing. The destruction inside had caused some systems to fail, including the cloak field, exposing the house. Well, it didn't matter anymore anyway. He only wanted to finish the analysis before leaving to do his primary job for now, namely protecting her.

Trying to gather his thoughts, he slowly looked over the surroundings of the house… the thick forest below, the mountains in the background. Taurus looked at the biggest mountain, the sun shining brightly on it.

_'A safe place... A place where even this psychopath would have huge problems coming in... A place that can be very well guarded...' _

Continuing to think about the problem at hand, he noticed a small but bright reflection from the big mountain. Curious, he picked up a pair of binoculars, and realized, that it was from the metal at the mountainside exit of the Gargoyle clan's lair. Remembering the island layout, he only now recognized Mt. Thanatos.

_'Ah yes, I totally forgot them. Surely looks different at night... Hmmm...' _The wheels in his head started to turn while he watched the entrance through the binoculars.

_'A place that is very hard to reach, virtually unknown and easy to defend...' _Normally he wouldn't even think about going this way, but in desperate times, desperate measures were needed.

However, there was still the problem, if the clan would agree it. It was quite a risk for them, and he had no idea if they would tolerate him and several of his men in their home (after dealing with them for the first time, he of course had informed himself about them, thus learning about the really bad relations).

Looking up to the sky, he saw that the sun wouldn't set for several more hours, since it was summer. Meaning that asking them would have to wait for now, since it was totally impossible to talk to a statue.

"Chief, we are done here!" Helios called him. Most likely they had given up and accepted the unbelievable fact that it was a show of unbelievable and brute force.

"Finally!" Walking to his hoverbike, Taurus only wanted to catch up with Cassy. He had a feeling in his hooves that trouble could turn up at any moment.

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**City Morgue, 04:17PM :**

This wasn't one of his usual duties. Normally...But this time, it was different. The death toll caused by Achilles was something that that hit very close to him, even if nobody knew that.

Walking through the dimly lit, cold room, he saw the bodies of all the people Achilles had killed on this day. First during his escape out of the mental hospital, and later when he stormed the safe house. All in all, almost 20 were dead. The same number again for the injured. It had been a bloody day.

He had no doubt that while Achilles had been still re-sociable when he was cast away by Roan, Artemis had made sure that he would become a lost cause, living in his own world of madness, where his psychopathic behaviour actually made sense.

It was sick.

It was wrong.

And he actually realized that he should have expected something like this.

He had never imagined that she would do something like this, taking a being that was in pain, and transform it into a psychopathic, super-strong and almost uncontrollable monstrosity, then use it as a proxy at her leisure, so that she wouldn't have to get her hands dirty. It showed a total disregard for life, even if she claimed to have his best interests at heart. The life of Achilles, as much as the life of the ones he crippled or killed, simply seen as worthless. As horrible as Achilles' acts were, he wasn't born like that.

He was transformed into this... thing. Moulded, taken advantaged of, his brain warped, nothing was truly his; he never had a choice in the matter of what he'd done with his life, from cradle to the jungle to jail to freedom. Nothing was his.

All that knowledge she had achieved... and still it hadn't done anything at all to make her see the worth of life, hadn't shown her how foolish it is to look down on beings that aren't immortal.

_'All this knowledge...wasted. Wisdom didn't come though it... I learned my lesson, as painful as it was. Why didn't she?' _He found no answer.

And for now, Boreas had no illusions, the only thing he could do was to pray for the innocent victims and hope that Achilles was put to a permanent end. For the safety of everyone, as much as to finally give Achilles the peace that was denied to him in life.

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**Mt. Thanatos, 08:55PM:**

"Please take no offence, leader, but I think this would be madness. We would literally invite this...this monstrosity to give us a visit and destroy all of us," an elder male said, after Sphinx had told them why she had gathered the clan for a vote on something important.

They hadn't been awake for a minute, when a call came in for Sphinx. For a clan that had practiced a total communication shutdown for ten years, they were suddenly called quite often. Sphinx had listened to it, before calling the clan together. Then she had told them the matter at hand. She told them of Achilles' escape, him storming the safe house and trying to abduct Cassy, and Taurus request for her, him, and some of his men, to re-locate to the clan's dwelling, since it was the safest place on the island, very hard to reach.

To say that the clan was shell-shocked by these events was an understatement. Sphinx had accessed a file concerning Achilles, and even for them, he was a monster, almost four times as strong as their biggest male gargoyle. A psycho who even scared the most experienced warriors of them. Their dislike for the idea of some New Olympians in their home was only secondary to the fear of what Achilles could do, should he manage to invade their home.

"Yeah, but letting this psycho run free would be even worse. Could you have a decent day's sleep, knowing that he is out there, planning to do horrible things to her, only to then move on to his next victim? I for my part can't. I might dislike the city dwellers, but even they don't deserve this beast," another, much younger, male threw in.

"I more fear to actually give him a reason to come here!" a scared female called.

"Right, we have our hands full with caring for the wilderness!"

"Damn it!" Vespa shouted, slamming her fist on the table. "Gargoyles protect. It is our nature, our purpose. To lose that is to be corrupt, empty, lifeless. What do you want to protect!? The trees out there, or a living, breathing being, who is in great danger. Not to speak of all the other possible future victims of this madness. I know how you feel, but we have to put back our dislike for these people in such dire situations!"

There was silence. They hadn't expected to hear this from Vespa, who was known to be somewhat bitter against the city population, hurtful memories of her childhood still pretty much present in her.

Sphinx decided, that the elder's flaming words had brought an end to the debate. "Are we ready to decide?" she asked them. There was no answer, which actually was an answer.

"Good. Who is against us offering our help?" she asked.

There were some raised hands. It didn't surprise her, they werre the most isolationist and bitter ones in the clan, but they wouldn't dare to defy a decision made by the majority.

"And who is in favor of us helping?" she then asked.

A lot more hands went up. It was easily bigger than a 3/4 majority. A clear decision. Sphinx didn't hold back a small smile. When it came down to such things, in the end almost all of the clan had the heart at the right spot.

"Then the decision is made. Please prepare everything for our guests, while I call to tell them how we have decided."

The clan scattered to tend to the various tasks that had to be done. Finally, the small group of gargoyles that had voted against was left alone. Four of the six were already elders, only two of the group younger than 40 human years.

"I don't like this..." Thyphoon said. "We are about to get ourselves in danger for people who couldn't care less about us. And this over a human. Sometimes I really wonder if Sphinx really knows what she is doing. She shouldn't have become leader, that would have been a job for someone older and more experienced."

"I also dislike this total stupidy, but the majority has spoken. But better don't get any ideas. Remember that the clan stands almost totally behind her, this vote again shows it. And also remember that she was confirmed as leader by vote only half a year ago. So unless you can present a better candidate for this job, which I doubt, and convince the clan to topple Sphinx, which I doubt even more, you shouldn't say things like this aloud," a female elder reminded him.

"Damn," he growled.

At the beginning, many had thought that Sphinx wouldn't last long, since she seemd far to young for the job of leadership. But the sheer strength she put into her job and how fast she learned had convinced the clan otherwise. So much, that she was confirmed as the leader at the vote they did every two years, where the clan would decide if they are statisfied with the work of the current leader.

Since then, she had won every vote. (And actually only the oldest elders remembered a vote that had gone negative)

"Whining is now useless. We can only hope, that the foolishness of this young one and the ones that follow her, won't be our deaths," a male elder added.

The group then scattered.

They had no idea that old Vespa had listened to all this. While she did understand their fears, she could only despair over so much hard-headedness. But the elder was right, there was no one to replace Sphinx. Still...

_'Have we lost so much, that some of us now miss this integral part of ourselves?' _she wondered, while returning to the task at hand. Beside their inability to reproduce, their biggest worry, this problem also now bothered her.

What would happen to a gargoyle that loses this part of the very being?

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**Base of Mt. Thanatos, Mid-Afternoon :**

_'DAMN!'_

Achilles looked up the big mountain in disappointment. He had caught his mate's scent by pure concidence (and as well with a little help), and followed the trail to the biggest mountain. But he had to stop when he realised that the faint trail, it was already many hours old and started to disappear, actually led to a opening in a mountainside.

_Very_ high in the mountainside.

There was no way for him to reach that opening without artificial help, but it would take him hours to return to the city, and again time to find a suitable vehicle that he could take.

His mother had been strangely quiet about that...place.

At first he had thought that he had displeased her, but that obviously wasn't the case. She had finally told him that she was unable to either give him a lift up there or tell him what's inside, because something blocked her, thus leaving him to do it on his own. Not that he wouldn't be able to do it anyway.

But despite his one-minded quest to find Cassy, something bothered him. A scent he had never smelled before. He couldn't imagine why, but it smelled like danger and a warning to leave.

But he wiped this aside. He had more important things to do.

Leaving, he would never realise why Artemis couldn't help him. Even she had no idea, she only knew that someone even mightier than her had blocked her with ease. That was something, which hadn't happened to her in a LONG time.

Neither of them knew that the Great Dragon had protected his children. These specific children, whose despair had been so great, that it woke him up from his long slumber.

While Gargoyles had developed naturally, like all life on this planet, he had chosen to watch over them. For him, they were his children, adopted, but still his children. But he had become sleepy with time, and fell into his slumber over 1000 years ago, only to finally awaken when something touched his heart, a despair so deep and strong, that it had reached him.

And while he couldn't interfere directly due to the bounds laid on him, it was no problem for him to shield them and their home against the magic of the female immortal who endangered his children.

The rest was up to his children.

**To Be Continued... **


	13. Chapter 13

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

"_YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" Cassy heard Achilles' murderous voice from the other side of the wall. "I'll get you eventually! You know I will… " _

_Cassy kneeled down to the floor, curling up in the corner, listening to him as he continued rambling on, but didn't dare whisper a single word. She covered her head with her hands and tucked her face into her knees._

_000000000000000_

_'A safe place... A place where even this psychopath would have huge problems coming in... A place that can be very well guarded...' _

_Continuing to think about the problem at hand, he noticed a small but bright reflection from the big mountain. Curious, he picked up a pair of binoculars, and realized, that it was from the metal at the mountainside exit of the Gargoyle clan's lair. Remembering the island layout, he only now recognized Mt. Thanatos._

_'Ah yes, I totally forgot them. Surely looks different at night... Hmmm...' The wheels in his head started to turn while he watched the entrance through the binoculars._

_'A place that is very hard to reach, virtually unknown and easy to defend...' Normally he wouldn't even think about going this way, but in desperate times, desperate measures were needed._

_00000000000000000_

_'DAMN!'_

_Achilles looked up the big mountain in disappointment. He had caught his mate's scent by pure coincidence (and with a little help), and followed the trail to the biggest mountain. But he had to stop when he realized that the faint trail, it was already many hours old and started to disappear, actually led to an opening in a mountainside._

_Very high in the mountainside._

_There was no way for him to reach that opening without artificial help, but it would take him hours to return to the city, and to find a suitable vehicle that he could take._

_**-The Darkness within, Part III-**_

_**And Now, The Continuation:**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Darkness within, Part IV**

**Mt. Thanatos, 10:28 AM:**

Cassy yawned, while making herself comfortable into the improvised bed. It wasn't by far a real one, and also not as comfortable, but certainly better than the last time she had stayed with the clan. While she slowly started to feel sleepy, she thought about last night.

Last night had been, well... interesting.

On one had, she felt really safe with the clan. They were her friends, at least a number of them, and Sphinx had promised that they would defend her, should Achilles come for her. And she was sure, against a clan of over 40 Gargoyles, every of them at least three times as strong as a human bodybuilder, even Achilles had no chance to win.

On the other hand, the tensions between the New Olympian guards and the clan weren't helpful. Taurus himself wasn't involved in it, as he actually respected the Gargoyles as the realist he was. But the others weren't quite as smart. There had been some incidents, which involved shouting and cursing, and lots of angry looks. If she had thought that some of the looks she had received in her first night were bad, she knew she was wrong.

The looks against some of the guards spoke of pure despise against them. It made her realize that while some of the clan had been unhappy with her being in their home, they didn't actually hate her unlike they obviously did some of the New Olympians.

Old Vespa had told her after a tense meal, that the stuff she had heard from the trouble-making guards was almost exactly the same stuff they had said about them before they had left the city. Cassy didn't miss the look of hurt. Even after all these years, the scars from childhood still hurt the female elder.

After that, she had spoken with Sphinx for quite some time, Taurus sitting with them. Sphinx had asked them about the whole Great Gathering thing that would take place in three days. She had admitted that they were going to attend, but wondered how their current situation would interfere with it. She also had wondered what it was about.

Taurus had told her that he knew, but was ordered to stay quiet about it, something Sphinx understood all too well. He had then said that as long as Achilles was out there, Cassy would have to decline to come, as it was too risky.

_'Wonder...what it would...have been...' _she thought, while slowly drifting asleep, forgetting everything for now.

Taurus watched her through the half-open door drifting to sleep, shifting it silently. He knew, while Cassy would say different, she was so fragile. And with a monster like Achilles after her, she was even more vulnerable.

Walking down the silent corridor, Taurus remembered the previous encounters of Achilles with resistance. They had never used lethal force to stop him, never did that decision to end his existence.

But maybe that was the only way to stop him?

Achilles had declared, pretty much, that nothing would stop him. He would come again and again until either he was dead, or he got what he wanted. It did make Taurus think if a final decision had to be made, to end an otherwise never-ending threat to everyone.

He looked at his hand weapon, a true monster compared to the standard arms of the forces. They were told, that the maximum setting would most likely be enough to smash even through Achilles' thick skull, killing him on the spot, if needed. Taurus has NEVER before killed in his duty, not even in his entire life. He had vowed to never do it, as once it had happened, he would have lost a part of himself. He knew that with the risk in his work, that one day he would have to do it eventually, but had prayed that this day would never come.

Taurus again looked at his weapon.

'_Father...I know I promised to never take a life, unless in mortal danger... But can I do nothing while he hurts, kills the ones around me, with nothing else there to stop him?_' This question he repeated more than once in his thoughts, while looking at the other guards.

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**Streets of New Olympus City, 03:42 PM:**

A hovercraft sped by one of the many alleyways of New Olympus, its driver never noticing the dark shadow that skulked nearby.

Achilles came out from the darkness, blood still matted in his fur. He took care that no one saw him, as he darted from the shadowy alley into the next one.

He was surprising quick and agile for someone so large and powerfully built. At first glance, you would expect someone like him to be clumsy, or at least heavy on the feet/hooves. But Achilles had long since learnt the art of stealth.

He smirked, as he avoided yet another hovercraft. His black pelt and stealth made him almost completely undetectable… He would have made a perfect spy.

After learning that he couldn't make it up to the mountain where his mate, Cassy, was being held, he decided that for the time being he would have to remain in the city. Maybe he could steal another hovercraft and get there by himself… if only he didn't have that nagging feeling he got from the mountain. Every time he had come near it, he got a feeling of intense dread, like a warning.

As Achilles was about to take another turn, to try and find a suitable hiding place for the remainder of the day… he stopped.

Achilles turned his head, raising his snout and sniffing the air. He smelt something that he hadn't smelt in a while… or more precisely, since he had escaped his prison.

Achilles bared his teeth in a dark grimace. Finally, he was going to get to finish something that he had promised himself a long, long time ago… He was going home!

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**The Estate Home of Senator Raon: **

"I remember when I had hair just like yours, Alejandra," Narcissa spoke, as she brushed the knots from Alejandra's dark locks, brushing them into silky smoothness.

Alejandra was a Centaur, like her mother, showing no signs of her Minotaur half, all that was of course due to the genetic tampering that her parents had received before their marriage. With long dark curls, dark eyes, and skin like the colour of dark golden coffee.

Narcissa leaned over Alejandra's shoulder, and both of them admired her handiwork. Only Narcissa could arrange Alejandra's hair so perfectly, even better than Alejandra herself, and she paid professionals. Every brush stroke felt like it was coated with attention and love, forming and holding the hair in place.

"Done quite wonderfully, Mother," Alejandra said, flicking a curl over her shoulder. She gave Narcissa a peck on the cheek. Narcissa responded by pinching her daughter's cheek.

"Do you think I'm good for the dance, Mother?" Alejandra asked, just for the sake of asking, knowing (and revealing) the answer.

"Of course you will, honey," Narcissa said, nuzzling her daughter. "You're my little girl, my only little girl, and I definitely do not want you looking your worse for your big day."

"Thanks, Mother," Alejandra answered. She looked into the mirror, admiring herself. There was some clanging downstairs; most likely the maid was dragging the vacuum cleaner down the stairs…again.

"Oh, those damn maids, can't they be quiet for once? Go see how your father's doing, dear." Narcissa told her.

"Yes, Mother," Alejandra responded, and trotted out of the room as her mother gathered up the many brushes, combs, and hair products to be put away.

"Father, look at how Mother did my hair!" Alejandra spoke up, trotting into her father's study. Raon was sitting in his massive chair, his arm wrapped up tight, and his fingertips scarcely visible under the plaster cast. She plopped down beside him, her hands resting on the armchair, just at the edge of his wounded arm.

Saddened, she asked her father, "Are you feeling okay, Daddy?"

It was so sad to see her father injured and chalked full of prescription painkillers. He very much did not look like the strong, brave Minotaur who would pick her up and carry around the garden on his shoulders. He did not seem the happy, laughing soul who had tea parties with her and helped her decorate her room.

No, he seemed like a shell of his former self, like the wound was rotting and eating him inside out. He simply sat and stared at the walls, deeply disturbed, deeply worried, looking sicker and sicker every day. And that lunatic was still on the loose! It worried Alejandra to see him become this. He was not this! He was her father, a powerful, passionate man who cared deeply about his family, but now, all he did was sulk, ignoring his beloved family, preferring to stay as far away from them as possible.

"Yes, honey, I'm feeling okay," Raon answered, patting her on the head, careful not to ruffle her hair.

"I hope that lunatic pays for what he did to you. They should put him to death, we can't have people running the streets like that," Alejandra grumbled. Raon patted her on the head again.

"I can agree with you on that, my dear child," he said, sounding very, very old to her. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you, Father," Alejandra answered, resting her head gently on her father's arm.

They sat like that for a while, before Alejandra finally asked what had been bothering since her father's attack.

"Daddy?" she asked. "I'm just curious, but… why did that… that _thing_ attack you? I mean you've never really had anything to do with the mental institute before that day. Why would any of those mad creatures have any crime with you?"

Raon had a smile on his face, but the way it looked, it was obviously a forced one. His face looked torn between false glee, and terror.

"Some lunatics just need someone to blame for their own mistakes," he told her. "I was the most obvious choice, being a politician."

"That's not fair," Alejandra fumed.

Raon shrugged. "Comes with the job, I'm afraid," he said, getting a giggle out of her. "Now, you'd better go and finish dressing. You don't want to be late, do you?"

Alejandra gave her father another kiss, and then hurried to pick out a necklace.

Raon watched her leave, smiling, and then looked back to the flames, watching as they danced and burned.

Alejandra trotted back up to her room, but didn't see her mother there. She shrugged, thinking that she must have gone downstairs for something… probably to have a go at the maid for constantly dropping their vacuum all over the place.

She went up to her dressing table, opening her jewellery box to choose which necklace to wear for the night.

She had been right about her mother… Narcissa had indeed gone down to give the maid a piece of her mind, little knowing that the maid had actually left for home over half an hour ago, but she had been so infatuated with Alejandra's hair that Narcissa hadn't noticed.

Alejandra picked a necklace from the dozens she had received as birthday gifts. She fitted it around her neck, admired herself in the mirror. She fixed her makeup and placed her little tiara.

Yes, she looked like a little goddess. Now, she had to go find her father and show him.

"Where is that stupid Nymph?" Narcissa fumed, as she made her way to the kitchen. The maid was always stopping for an extra nibble from the cook's larder.

"Okay, Nera," Narcissa angrily said, as she went through the kitchen door. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep that noise…?"

"Hello, mummy," Achilles said simply, as she came through the door, right in front of him. "Miss me?"

All Narcissa could do was stand there, staring up and up at the monstrosity that was her son, the son who should have died years ago. He had only been a small child when they had left him alone in the forestland. How could he ever have survived???

"Awww, don't I get a hug?" Achilles said lowly, as he came nearer her. He towered over her, as she barely came to his chest. This was not the child in the cage, huddled away in the corner, terrified, shaking, dirty and crying. No… he towered over her shaking, quivering form, his form sleek and black, with a vicious grin, hungry (but not for food) across his face. His eyes were so red that she could not even see the pupils. Only his mutant form told her that this _was __**her**__ child. _

_This was her nightmare…_

Narcissa couldn't even begin to inch back, as she was too frozen with shock and fear. "H-h-how…" she stuttered out. She banged against the kitchen counter. Silverware clanged against the tiles.

"How am I still alive?" Achilles said grimly. "Don't worry. It certainly weren't for your lack of trying, I can assure you… Let's just say I have friends in high places, even higher than yours, mom."

"RAO-"

His hands closed on her before she could finish.

"Shhh," Achilles told her quietly, holding her throat in a choking grip. "We wouldn't want our mother, child reunion spoiled now, would we?"

Narcissa tried desperately hard to breathe, as Achilles crushed the breath out of her. She felt her throat collapse, as her son pulled her closer to him, his eyes staring right into hers…

From upstairs, Alejandra twisted her head at the shout, as she stepped into her father's study. "That sounded like Mother."

Raon stood up in his chair, his eyes widened…appearing wildly young compared to the rest of his body. Alejandra's hair stood up on end at the expression on her father's face. He gestured her to step back.

"Stay here," he hoarsely whispered. Alejandra immediately became terrified.

"Wha… It's him…isn't it, Daddy?" she whispered.

"Just stay calm," he told her. He clasped her hands. "I'll go check, so be a good girl and stay here. At the first sign of danger, run, okay? Get to the nearest house and call the Security Centre, all right?"

Silently he stalked over to a bookshelf, and from behind a vase removed a gun.

As she watched him, a sickening realization built up in her stomach. Her breath became high pitched; she frantically waved her hands, ready to scream bloody murder. "Where's Mother, where's Mother?"

"Shhh," he hushed her, and stalked away.

Pain rose in her gullet. Her father was not the Minotaur he was years ago, and he was currently not the father he had always been. He was not himself; he could not fight off an insane lunatic. Alejandra began to struggle with what to do, almost frantically pacing back and forth in the study.

Raon glanced into the kitchen through the shadows of the hallway, gun held up, as stiffly as he could. His insides were trembling. Just as he glanced in, Achilles rose up, flicking blood…fresh blood…from his hands like he was flicking water from his hands after using the sink. Blood was splattered across his chest and biceps. There was a satisfied grin on his face, wide and vicious. Only one stiff horse leg was visible to Raon… The counter hid the rest of Narcissa's body.

Raon felt his heart drop. In a split second, his partner, wife and lover had been taken away from him. He aimed his gun and shot, missing Achilles by inches. All he succeeded in doing was amusing the giant and alerting Achilles to his existence.

Achilles laughed, his grin changing… from satisfied to entertained.

Raon's next shot was not any better.

"Time hasn't done your aim any good, has it, dad?" Achilles said, coming up to him, not even taking any notice of the gun.

Meanwhile, upstairs Alejandra has stayed up in the study for as long as she could, but finally she couldn't take it any longer. Taking great care not to alert anyone to her presence, she crept down the stairs a step at a time.

"_You killed her! You killed Narcissa!" _Her father's voice echoed up the stairs, freezing Alejandra's blood as she heard it, her worst fear confirmed.

_You were expecting me to do something else?" _she heard another, more colder voice, spoke. "_After the Tartarus you and she put me through, what you were expecting… kiss and make up?" _

"_You bast… ugh!" _Raon's voice seized with pain, making Alejandra quicken her pace, but deep down she had started to wonder… what did he mean the Tartarus her parents had put him through?

"_You left me to die alone and forgotten in the forests outside the city," _the lunatic's voice continued. "_I had put up with your countless years of neglect and degradation of me… only for you and mother to further torture me by leaving me to die!" _

'Mother???' Alejandra had stopped dead in her tracks. She blinked, wondering if she had heard right. Had the lunatic just called her mother… _his_ mother? He was a lunatic, yes, which would explain it, but… if that was the case then why wasn't her father denying anything of it?

"_We… we tried to do what was best for you," _her father's voice pleaded. "_We couldn't show you to anyone. Everyone would have been so discriminating about you…if you think we were bad to you…could have imagined what the rest of New Olympus would have done to you…we were only protecting you!"_

"_I know full well about discrimination, thanks…you and mom taught me well!" _

Alejandra felt her whole world collapsing all around her, as she continued listening in on the conversation. If anything, her father was confirming everything that this lunatic was saying about him and her mother… that he was their son.

_Her brother…_

There were the sounds of more beatings, and a huge crash that sounded like the two of them had moved from the kitchen into one of the other adjacent rooms.

Alejandra moved forward, finding her way into the kitchen, but could still hear the loud voices of her father and the intruder.

She walked into the kitchen, and started to make her way over to the other door when… her mother's lifeless corpse caught her eye.

Alejandra stayed where she was, her eyes in shock as she looked down on her mother's beaten and bloody body. She looked as though she had been dragged through a stampede of wild Cyclops.

Images of being held by her father, her mother, the hugs, the kisses, the warmth, the smiles, the laughs shared among them…the time spent together with them…being a family together…a loving family flashed through her immense, tear streaked eyes. Together…family…together…

"_You kept me a cage, starved me, fed me garbage…" _the mad one kept going. "_And when you gave me lessons, and I didn't learn as fast as you wanted, you would beat me like an animal!" _

Alejandra slowly moved closer towards the other door, listening. These words sent a cold rush through her soul, as she listened on. It was a cold shock, shock upon shock…and sudden emptiness…emptiness upon emptiness…the loss of her mother, the discovery of a brother…a sibling who could have easily had enjoyed the love and affection she had, but was denied.

It was a bizarre feeling…alien…unrealistic. She'd laughed if it was a show, she'd laugh if she could…but all she could do was pant and hold her chest.

With each word he spoke, she remembered her own childhood… Instead of a cage, she remembered being in a warm bed in her own bedroom, instead of being starved she dined on the finest cuisine each night, and as for lessons… she had always come out top of her class.

Another cold dread came upon her, as she thought of something else… What if she had been the unfortunate one to be born different, and not smart… would her parents have treated her any less different?

There was a crash. Raon appeared in the doorframe, streaked in blood…his blood. His eyes were wild, chest throbbing and quivering. It was amazing he was even standing. Alejandra had never seen so much blood…seen actual wounds. She barely saw a boo-boo in her life.

"RUN!" he screamed, in a voice that did not sound at all like him. Raon grabbed her wrist in a blood-drenched hand; his grip was so tight, so desperate; it nearly shredded the flesh from her wrist.

Raon dragged her down the hallways. Alejandra legs threatened to lock up. She couldn't see Achilles behind them…but god…she could imagine him angrily charging after them, blood from Raon and Narcissa dripping from his form, eyes angry, teeth bared. She could hear him, crashing through the house. But she could not tell where he was in her terrified state. Any turn, any room they pass, he could be in there he could be stalking right passed them; he could come crashing the walls.

It was the last few feet towards the door that were the hardest to take, and the last few seconds wasted attempting to open the front door were the hardest of all. The door would not open! Achilles front leg peeked from another room, and Raon threw his entire weight against the door. The door shattered, its splinters and he rolled out onto the street.

Alejandra crashed through the remains of the door, just as Achilles reached out for her. He snapped the necklace from around her neck, and she heard it shatter under his hoof.

Achilles struggled to fit through the door, but could not, as it was too small.

"You can never run from me, father!" Achilles' thunderous voice screamed at Raon. "I'll find you no matter where you go! I can promise you that! Do you hear me?! You're dead!!!"

While through all this, Alejandra had just allowed her father to drag her with him, out of the house, and now through the streets of New Olympus. Her face looked as though it was in a daze, as the images of her mother's dead body, her father's desperation, Achilles, and the things she had just heard from both him and her father, all floated through her head.

"Officer!" Raon screamed out, as a security hovercraft past by them. "You've got to help us! That escaped mental patient is at our house, he killed my wife! You've got to destroy him!"

Alejandra looked at him, startled at his words. He had just ordered an officer to kill his own son?

"Father?" she asked him finally.

"Alejandra," Raon turned and embraced her firmly. "It will be all right, I promise you. I'll see to it that… that thing never comes near you."

"Father," she repeated. "Who exactly is that thing? Why did he come to our house, and why was he saying all those things about what you and mother did to him?"

Raon seemed a little startled at first, but then he just shrugged, saying, "Like I told you, my dear… he's a complete maniac. He doesn't know what he's saying half the time. I had to indulge him by pretending some things that he said, like being related to him and such. But I assure you, it was all false… "

Raon continued telling her about all he had had to do to save them, but by then Alejandra had droned out his voice, listening only to the oncoming security hovercrafts, as they hurried to their position. She had heard the desperation in her father's voice, the tone in which he had spoke… she knew those had not been lies that he had spoken.

So Alejandra just remained quiet, as her father embraced her yet again, rocking her back and forth like he had when she was a small child. Only now didn't she feel quite so safe.

00000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos; Same Time:**

"At least we have a nice view here..." Helios commented while sitting at the mountainside entrance, looking to the far away city. Normally, he would have disliked a babysitting-job, but this was really a special case. "Surely better than how things went last night..."

"Urgh! Don't remind me..." the female Centaur groaned. Last night had been quite embarrassing.

Most of them had no clue how to act around the clan, some even acting as if they were cavemen or something like that. Of course that hadn't helped ease the tension between them, more likely only deepened it.

"You know the worst of this?" Helios asked her. " I thought it would degenerate into a for-all brawl."

She shook her head in annoyance. "I wonder if Tholden thought that when acting like that..."

_...Flashback, last night..._

**"Stop it at once!" **

The shouted order made the male Gargoyle and the Harpy-man stop in their shouting at each other, with the emotions high on both sides. They saw Sphinx and Taurus before them, looking really annoyed.

"What started that, Tholden? And don't you dare to tell me some fairy-tale!" Taurus asked the Harpy-man, looking him directly into the eyes.

"I only told him what I think of his kind, and he started to threaten me!" the Harpy-man tried to defend himself.

"Really?" Taurus asked, and then looked to Sphinx.

"Rhinzo? What did he say to you to make you so angry?" Sphinx asked the male Gargoyle.

"He called us primitive and stupid! He said that he was really surprised that we had already learned to use fire. Of course I demanded an apology!" Rhinzo defended himself.

Taurus looked hard to Tholden. "We have to talk..." He then grabbed him by one of his wings, and forced him to follow outside.

_...the present..._

"Man, did you see Tholden after Taurus was finished with him? Never saw him this deflated," the Centaur said, remembering the incident. Of course it was only one more of some of these kinds of situations, but it was the worst of them.

"Yeah, and the Gargoyles literally stared him into the ground later at the meal. I had never thought that looks could be that scary. Man, I really don't want to get on their bad side!" Helios remembered.

_...flashback, last night..._

The situation at the table wasn't the very best. It wasn't that there was shouting and a fight. No, it was worse. While the meal went by without incident, the clan had stopped talking with the simple guards, instead giving them a cold glare each time they looked at them. Worst it was for Tholden, who seemed to get smaller each time a cold glare hit him. Taurus had already disciplined him, but this was far worse.

It was heavily contrasted with how most of them acted towards Cassy and Taurus.

The ones that Cassy saw as her friends were friendly with her, and they seemed to enjoy their presence, getting an extra scoop of everything, too. (By old Vespa who was fixed on her opinion, that a growing girl needs to eat well and much. Cassy had nothing against that, but at the end of the meal felt like her stomach would burst any second.) The ones who weren't her friends were polite to her, but holding a certain distance.

With Taurus, it was respect. He respected them, and treated them accordingly. They in return respected him because of his line of duty and that he didn't act like a jerk to them. That meant that Taurus got some interesting conversation.

The silence was finally broken by one elder whose sheer dignity seemed to put him above many things. He looked directly to Tholden. "Just be glad that we are civilized people, and that you are needed here. Otherwise, we would have removed you by throwing you down the mountainside," he said to him slowly, with every word sharp like a knife.

Tholden became paler. Holding his hand before his mouth, feeling the meal forcing its way back up, and ran out of the room. He never heard old Vespa whispering to Cassy that they wouldn't have done it, and that they only wanted to teach him a lesson with that.

_...the present..._

Helios tried to forget that scene. It had been spooky enough how words not said in anger, but simple coldness, could be that scary. "But they are weird. I mean, what normal lifeform turns to stone in daylight?"

"Too bad I didn't see it myself, but I actually can't hold it against them that they locked their sleep-room from the inside. Not that they have a reason to trust us... And the whole stone story, I've read about it, it baffled all our scientists. They got out that it was a natural process, but nothing more. This species is really a mystery..." she mused.

"Mystery or not, they seem to have become buddies with our 'charge'. That was on the border of sickening to watch that," Helios told her with quite some disgust.

"I don't understand why they give us the cold shoulder, while making friends with that human girl. Really strange beings..." she wondered in ignorance, ignoring everything that had happened between the Gargoyles and her people.

"I still say, I..." Helios stopped when he saw Taurus approaching. Taurus looked alarmed, which never was a good sign at all. "Chief?"

"I just got a call... Achilles has struck again, this time at the home of Senator Raon... Everyone has to be on guard. That can only mean that in due time he will surely find out where to look," he said, his voice monotone, trying to hide that it troubled him.

"Ah, shit," was the only thing Helios could say. While he had no love for their current hosts, the news that Achilles again was on a rampage made him worry that soon enough, he would meet him on these terms.

A meeting he wasn't looking forward to.

00000000000000000000

**Forest Lands; Far Outside New Olympus City, 04:35 PM: **

Boreas headed deeper into the marshlands of the ancient jungle-like forest outside their people's advanced city. He had put this off long enough… It was time for him to face Artemis once and for all.

Boreas sighed, as he made his way through the thicket. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but Artemis's actions with Achilles had forced his hand to deal with her.

He hoped she wouldn't cause too much trouble, as he didn't like to fight with her since they were the last two of their kind.

Boreas was not altogether worried about facing her, for as powerful as she was, he was ten times more powerful. He had been ever since their creation over three thousand years ago when Oberon, ruler of the third race (and the Olympian's true origin), had given life to them.

He grimaced, as he remembered the mighty king of the Fey, and how he had treated his 'beloved' children, himself included.

"Artemis!" he commanded. "Show yourself! We have business to attend to!"

There was a flash of light, and Artemis shimmered into place.

"You rang?" she answered him snidely.

Boreas reached into his pocket and tossed something on the ground before…a length of chain.

"It appears that you have a rodent problem," Artemis stated, just glancing at the chain.

"The only problem I have is the one I am looking at right now," Boreas said, putting his hands on his hips. "You weren't always like this, Artemis…this bitter. What happened to the chaste young Goddess that ran through the trees, protected the women, and protected the animals? There are little girls being raped, and animals rampaging…and you stand there smiling, behind it all."

"That Goddess is as dead as the belief in Gods," she responded smartly. "Dead like all the rest. We're not Gods anymore, Boreas."

"To the people we're not," Boreas answered. "You can call a Satyr a Cyclops, but it's still a Satyr, and has all the powers of a Satyr. We may not be called 'Gods' anymore, but we have the power of Gods, and we have the purpose of Gods, to protect our people."

"I say they're doing a pretty damn good job of it themselves. Did you see what your Chief of Security did to my son?" she said.

"Then we are meant to provide guidance for our children then, and I'm doing my job, how about you?" he said to her. "We are supposed to be leaders, and make our children do good. You turned your back on your purpose."

"What purpose? You're an elected official, and by the voices I hear, not well liked. You'll be lucky to keep giving guidance to 'your children' until the next election season," Artemis answered. "They are not my children to take care of anyway. I have only one son to worry about."

"Your barbs are not working, Artemis," Boreas stated dryly. "And he's not your son."

"I took care of him, I raised him, and I loved him. I may not have given birth to him, but isn't it love that makes a family?" Artemis asked.

"Artemis, you are the last person to speak of love and family," Boreas answered.

"And so are you," Artemis responded. "You act like you care about these…these…New Olympians. Why didn't you care about their ancestors a millennium ago? YOUR CHILDREN!"

"I'm making up for past mistakes. If you are then you are doing a poor job," Boreas told her. "Achilles needed someone, and you were there for him, he needed you and he still needs you, and you have to be there for him, right now."

Artemis was silent, looking at the ground. "Perhaps you are right."

"Please, I am pleading with you. Go take care of your son, take him away from here, away from my children, and perhaps, it will be a better world for both us. For all our children," Boreas pleaded with her.

Artemis regarded him carefully for a moment. "As I recall you said you would take care of my son. You promised he would receive your best of care."

Boreas sighed. "I tried, Artemis. Our city's finest counsellors did their best, but in the end they determined that Achilles was far too gone to be helped. I suspect you knew this from the beginning. You just won't admit it."

"He is my son," she replied. "No matter what you say."

"I'm sure he is," Boreas looked at her calmly. "But you won't admit that your 'son' has devolved into a homicidal maniac. He is too dangerous to be allowed on the streets of New Olympus, and you know it."

"I won't discuss this any further!" Artemis yelled, turning her head from Boreas. "I won't stop him from taking vengeance against those who wronged him… "

"And what about the Human, young Cassandra?" Boreas insisted. "What did she ever do that deserved Achilles' treatment of her?"

"He and she share a deep connection. They both grew up in a world that neither respects nor wants them. Despised and hated by all." Artemis spat at him. "Your 'children' may think themselves high on the evolutionary ladder, but to me they're the same now as they were when they lived in caves!"

Boreas sighed again. "I'm sorry, Artemis," he told her truthfully. "But I cannot allow Achilles to threaten the lives of anymore innocents. Either stop him," he picked up the length of chain, "or I will."

Artemis thinned her eyes at him. "Well, if that's your final word on the matter," she began. "Then I guess I have no choice… either."

Before Boreas could even lift the chain up to his waist, Artemis touched her belt, which up to now he had thought was nothing more than a simple gold decorative, but as it turned out, the belt was actually a cover-up for some kind of control apparatus.

"What the-"

Chains snaked up from the ground gripping his ankles. It burned…it burned like ice. Bars formed up around him. They were black, dull, and crude compared to the shiny, almost glasslike metals of New Olympus. No it couldn't be…

He reached out to touch the bars.

Sizzle…

Cold wrought iron…how did she, where did she, how could she?

"That's cold wrought iron, Boreas, if you're wondering," she stated with a laugh, as he collapsed. "Haven't seen that in a while, have you?"

"Where…where…where did you get this?" he hissed tiredly at her. There hadn't been any iron on New Olympus in centuries, as the metal was not strong enough compared to more modern reinforced metals.

She laughed again, keeping a distance from the cage. She made sure to laugh loud enough that it sounded like she was right beside him.

"I'd like to say, ironically, from your children," Artemis laughed, turning her back to him, transforming into a golden hind with luscious blond locks and even more flattering eyelashes. She beat an eye at him. "You'd be amazed what a form like this gets you. A Cyclops, for instance, would make cold wrought iron without a second thought, and go out and place it out in the middle of the jungle for you with even less thought…all because of a pretty face. My, my, Boreas, you've raised your children well! They still don't trust humans, but a pretty face…well…"

"You…you witch!" he spat at her. She laughed, changing back into her true form.

"Now, now," she chuckled. "You're not that strong, and you've got even less strength now that you're in that cage, and you're going to need all the strength you can muster for what I've got planned for you dear."

"YOU WITCH! You poor excuse for a goddess…for a person…and New Olympian!" he lunged at her.

Artemis laughed at his attempt, and pressed a button on her belt. The cage began to shrink.

"What did I tell you, BOY?" she stated. "Keep your strength. And I'm not a New Olympian. I'll never be one of those."

Artemis laughed lightly and walked away from the weakened Boreas, lying at the bottom of the cage. "I can't tell you that I feel sorry you, Mister Boreas. Can't tell you I feel sorry for your children either. Only one person I feel sorry for, my child, and I wonder how he's doing…"

00000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos, 09:11 PM:**

Dusk had been only ten minutes ago, and already, the home of the clan was again a buzz of activity. All of them were busy with their given tasks. It made the New-Olympians, who had now nothing to do, look like the fifth wheel on the carriage. They were however, concerned about the whole Achilles situation, since they had been told right after waking up that he had struck again, this time at his own family… a reminder that he wouldn't hesitate anything to follow his mad logic.

Cassy hadn't been thrilled to hear this, too. It was a terrible reminder that Achilles could come back at any minute, trying to take her away and force her to do his bidding.

What Taurus hadn't told them, but what was equally disturbing, was that Boreas had vanished. He had told his office that he would be gone for two hours at a maximum. But he hadn't returned, and there was no sign of him at all... as if he had vanished from the face of Earth. It would be a disaster if something had happened to him. For most people, Boreas had been a political key player since long before their birth. If he would go missing, it would be a political crisis.

At the moment, they were sitting in the main room. Taurus, Cassy, Sphinx, and some of the warriors, trying to make sense of what had happened. Helios was sleeping with some of the other guards in one of the back rooms. 2 guards where standing beside the entrance door.

"...So from what we know, what he has done was a revenge plot to hurt the ones who are responsible for what I think as a traumatized childhood. But nothing of it seemed planned, from what I have heard, so it must have been a moment's decision to do it..." Taurus told them now in more detail.

"You said that you have evidence that this Raon is the father of Achilles… What about that?" an elder asked Taurus. While most of them disliked the strangers, the chief of security gave them the respect they deserved. So while they didn't have to like him, they at least knew that talking with him put them on the same eye-level.

"We hadn't time yet to act on it, since you understand that some more...pressing things are more important now. But after the attack, which injured him more than first thought, he was moved into the medical wing of the security centre. Sure, it is not the Med-Centre, but good enough, and far harder to get into. That and we already have him, where we want him anyway," he told them.

"Taurus, what exactly can Raon expect from the courts?" Cassy asked him, curious. She had never heard much about the justice system, only knew that it did exist. They weren't so far in school yet, it would have been the topic for next month.

"Considering all we know… He and his wife had conceived him without genetically treatment, resulting into what he is, and then getting rid of the child, despite us not knowing the details... even his high position won't save him." Taurus had no illusion, the intent to get rid of a child, accepting its most likely death, alone, would be worth several years.

"I can only wonder how he did survive and grow into that... thing you showed us pictures of," Sphinx asked him, shuddering at the mental picture.

Taurus looked thoughtful. That question had kept him busy, too. "We ask that ourselves. For us, he is an enigma. Looking at his DNA-code, the doctors had said that while he is still a mixture of Centaur and Minotaur, his brain, strength and toughness are totally illogical. He should still have developed normally, but it almost looks like his brain was systematically so much damaged, that he became the primitive brute we know. And they have no idea at all how he was toughened up so much, only say that his body always works at the limit. They said, that with so much constant stress in his system to keep that up, he won't last more than ten years from now on at best."

Cassy looked sick when hearing that. To imagine someone or something had done this, well knowing that in the long run it would kill him. "Who does such things...?"

**"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"**

"What was that!?" Sphinx shouted, jumping up.

**zzam zzaam CRASH "Raaahhrrgh!" rrriitsch "Aahh!"**

There were screams and weapon fire outside in the corridor, mixed with lots of noise from the three guards at the entrance, with orders to warn them at once, if something came their way.

"**ALARM!** Get ready for anything!" Sphinx shouted as loud as she could, and the clan ran into the main room, every one of them even the elders, shielding Cassy from whatever was going on at the other side of the door.

Suddenly there was silence... Careful and alert, they neared the door, preparing for the worst...

**CCCCAAA-RRRAASHHH**

...Only to see the big doors that connected to the main corridor, and therefore to the entrance, explode open when a wrecked hoverbike came bursting through them before crashing to the ground!

Smoke rose up from the wreckage, and the mangled remains of the three guards at the entrance were thrown at their feet, bloody corpses with their innards ripped out. Some of the clan felt sick when seeing that.

The smoke partly obscured him, but they had no illusion as to who it was. Somehow, he had managed to enter their home, their sacred home, defiling it with his darkness. The clan saw him for the first time, and many were horrified at what they saw.

Achilles, crimson with the blood of his latest victims, didn't care. "I'm here for my mate..." he told them like a volcano, ready to explode.

_**To Be Concluded... **_


	14. Chapter 14

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

_Taurus again looked at his weapon._

_'Father...I know I promised to never take a life, unless in mortal danger... But can I do nothing, while he hurts, kills the ones around me, with nothing else there to stop him?' This question he repeated more than once in his thoughts, while looking after the other guards. _

_----_

_"Chief?"_

_"I just got a call... Achilles had struck again, this time at the home of Senator Raon... Everyone has to be on guard. That can only mean that he surely will in due time will find our where to look," he said, his voice monotone, trying to hide that it troubled him._

_----_

_The smoke partly obscured him, but they had no illusion who it was. Somehow, he had managed to enter their home, their sacred home, defiling it with his darkness. The clan saw him for the first time, and many were horrified at what they saw._

_Achilles, crimson with the blood of his latest victims, didn't care. "I'm here for my mate..." he told them like a volcano, ready to explode._

_**-The Darkness within, Part IV-**_

_**And Now, The Conclusion:**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**The Darkness within, Part V**

"I'm here for my mate..." Achilles snarled/laughed, blood beading down his fingers and arms. He was bathed in it…so thick it clung to him like the shreds of clothing.

Gargoyles, the New Olympian security…the bravest of the bravest…were frozen with awful sickening fear…perhaps like the fear of the first mortal seeing the Gods, upon seeing the titans.

"He's gone berserk!" Sphinx warned, standing next to Taurus and Cassy (who looked like a rabbit ready to bolt, but to where was the question). She was the only one who did freeze in terror. She screamed the obvious… but she screamed because she had to…someone needed to wake these people from their stupor! Her warning rose up over the chilling clatter…heating up the room. Achilles twisted his head towards her and everyone scrambled.

Taurus pulled his gun from his holster; he grabbed hold of Cassy, who twisting and turning, trying to find a place to run to, trying to keep out of Achilles' sight. People rushing towards Achilles and people racing from Achilles worked in her favour. The berserk Achilles was too overcome with bloodlust…too distracted that he was not even in the right state of mind to look for Cassy.

Of course, unfortunately for Cassy, the maelstrom of people made it impossible for her to make her get-away. She was forced to twist and turn, her feet frozen in place, her upper body twitching in fear. Perhaps it was for the better, if Achilles saw the flit of the human girl through the chaos of bodies, all Hades would have broken loose.

Taurus yanked Cassy from the fray with such force that he nearly pulled her arm from the socket.

"Stay out of sight!" he ordered her in a fierce tone, almost ringed with annoyance… a tone of voice he would have spoken to her years ago when she just came to New Olympus…and he shoved her under a table.

His face bore an unreadable amount of stress, anger, and hatred-something she hadn't in seen in years, but just as he stood up, the expression melted in sympathy and concern, only to just as quickly change back to the prior expression, his teeth bared and gritting in concentration.

Taurus approached the chaos with his gun drawn. Guards and gargoyles were getting thrown about like rag dolls. Damn it! With each victim Achilles tossed aside, another would immediately appear in his place. Taurus shoved his gun back into its holster and pulled out his bolo.

Taurus shoved several guards out of the way, with the force only an enraged Minotaur was capable of.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

In Taurus's wake, Achilles could see the guards separating and splitting, like a shark through water. A familiar face appeared, and Achilles dropped a guard hard to the floor, still grasping his wrist. The guard struggled like an animal caught in a snare.

"ACHILLES!" Taurus exclaimed.

Achilles gave him a cold glare, his nostrils flaring in rage.

"I'd advise to stop what you're doing right now!" Taurus demanded, aiming the weapon at him.

"In your dreams, Minotaur!" Achilles roared. "I'll die and take every one of your bastards with me before I willingly go back to that cell!"

"I'm warning you, Achilles," Taurus said, squinting his eyes, aiming the bolo gun at the Mino-Centaur.

The Mino-Centaur approached, his chest bared to Taurus, dragging the hapless guard along the ground. Achilles' eyes were so bloodshot; his pupils were not even visible. Sanity was completely gone.

**KKSSSSSKKKK!**

The bolos spun out from the gun towards the Mino-Centaur.

**THWACK!**

The bolos struck Achilles dead centre in the chest, tightly wrapping around his massive chest, pinning his arms to his body. Just the force of the strike caused Achilles to guffaw, and drop the guard. The guard did not move. The chips within the mechanized bolos began to squeeze tightly around into Achilles' muscles, constricting his flesh.

Achilles roared in frustration, fighting against the metallic ropes. His veins, his muscles, his flesh threatened to split, to pop open, as he struggled against his bindings.

"Rar, Rar!" he panted, foam pouring from his mouth.

Taurus pressed a button hidden in the gun.

"AH!"

Achilles' unearthly scream rose up through the gargoyles' caves as electricity spread from the ropes to his body. The cavern was lit in a jagged, yellow glow. The shock ended. Achilles stood on wobbly legs; the blood lust slowly began to seep from his eyes. He looked broken, tired, swaying on four shaking limps.

Blood and spit dripped from his lips. The cavern with the exception of the groans on the wounded, the ghostly cracking of wood, and the haunting bellows of the Gargoyles' spooked farm animals out in the fields.

Cassy slowly eased herself up from behind the table. Her legs were wobbly; she had to support herself on the table. Achilles' eyes suddenly focused on her, trembling, and the red began flood his eyes again.

I got him…Taurus thought.

Achilles snarled and began to struggle again.

**SCHNAP!**

One bind snapped, snapping out like a whip, sounding like a bone being cracked.

Oh no…

**SCHNAP!**

A second binding snapped. Achilles flung the bolo away. Red welts dotted his body…as red as his eyes. He stormed towards Taurus, murder in his eyes.

"YOU THINK THAT CAN STOP ME? YOUR PATHETIC FORCE COULDN'T EVEN STOP ME! THESE PATHETIC GARGOYLES CAN'T STOP ME! NOTHING CAN!" He screamed, echoing through the caverns like thunders. The gargoyles' eyes lit up like lights, and they snarled like cats.

"YES, ACHILLES, I CAN AND WILL STOP YOU!" Taurus bellowed back and stepped forward. He pulled the gun from his holster, biting down his lower…just for a second. He felt an unspeakable amount of weight on his shoulders…like Atlas baring the weight of the world. "NOT ANOTHER STEP! I'M WARNING YOU!"

Achilles laughed and put foot forward, slowly, stomping it down.

"I'M WARNING YOU, ACHILLES!"

Achilles stepped forward again, smiling like a viper, slowly watching Taurus like a hyena.

Then Achilles quickly decided he had it with the little game, and launched himself at the security chief.

Achilles was quick, but he was still a good few feet away, far enough for Taurus to have a clear shot at him…

Taurus aimed the gun at his target, remembering his weapons training that his father had taught him years ago. He saw Achilles' face through the target area, his face a mask of pure rage, getting closer and closer.

Taurus placed his large finger on the trigger, and… felt his blood run cold.

Taurus wanted to shake his head furiously, wondering what was the matter with him. After all that he had done, Achilles was the one New Olympian who deserved death more than anyone, even Proteus, and he had killed his father.

Taurus summoned up all his strength, as Achilles came closer. He was only a couple of feet away now.

'One pull, that's all it takes,' Taurus thought to himself. 'One pull and it's all over. Must do it. He'll hurt Cassy, and who knows how many more people, like he's done to so many others.'

Taurus blinked and forced his mind to focus, as Achilles was coming up to less than a foot away…' One pull, and it's all over. One pull, one pull, one…"

He didn't get to finish, as Achilles quickly filled the gap between them, and rammed his fist straight into Taurus's jaw. Everyone hearing the loud smack, as Achilles fist hit his jaw.

Cassy squealed with fright, as she watched Taurus fall down, also hearing the smack too. She rushed over to him, but as she did, she ended running right up close to Achilles who then spread out his wide arms, and hugged her to him.

"Together again at last," he leered in her ear, nibbling on it with his large teeth, his tongue licking the side of her face.

00000000000000000000

**Forest Lands: **

Boreas snarled in frustration, as he beat and slammed his body against the iron bar, but to no avail. They remained just as strong now, as they had when they first materialized.

Artemis had obviously done her homework.

Boreas fumed, as he sank to the floor of his prison. He could only imagine what Artemis could get up to now that he was trapped here, and none of the scenarios were pretty.

A crash of thunder sounded from up above… a storm was getting near.

"Perfect," Boreas grumbled. "At least I have the thunder to keep me company... "

Suddenly, something clicked inside of him, and he looked up to see the dark clouds in the skies above him.

"Water…" he breathed, and remembered something that he had learnt from the scientists of New Olympus long ago.

Despite being a mystical being, Boreas was always up-to-date on current events and modern techniques. He had always had a keen interest in the new modern magic that both the humans and his people called 'science'. He recalled something that an old scientist, now long since deceased, had told him once about metal, water and electricity.

Boreas frowned, as he tried to remember… Photosynthesis? No, that was something to do with plants… Mitosis… no, that's cell division… Electrolysis!

Boreas's face brightened, as the memories from over a century ago returned. Water and Electricity were two entities that could not, and should never be mixed. But if they were, then they would quickly rust the bars of his cell, just enough so that he could break through them.

The only problem was that the storm was still a far way away, and the wind was blowing away from him.

Boreas raised his arm, shoving it through the bars, hissing in pain as the iron burned his skin like acid.

"Wind of the West, heed my command!" he called out. "Send clouds of rain to answer my demand!"

'_Really must work on my rhyming when I get the chance,'_ he thought to himself.

00000000000000000000

**Mt. Thanatos: **

Cassy at first didn't react at all. She was frozen in pure shock, fear and disgust. What she had tried to evade all the time was now becoming reality. That monster had her again in his claws. Her heart froze over when she realized all the things he would do to her. In her despair she did the only thing she could do in her current position…

She screamed.

**"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Achilles wanted to chuckle. His mate had really strong lungs, so she would be strong enough to carry his descendants. But this chuckle was cut short, when it suddenly felt as if his flesh was torn off his arms.

**"AUUAAH!"** howling in pain, he let go of Cassy, who didn't hesitate to get as far away from him as she could, her face as white as a sheet. Achilles realized that he had forgotten the winged things; forgetting their names or what they were, and his arms now had deep slash wounds on them. They had wounded him... they had managed to wound him... Wounding him was a mistake!

He ignored the pain, his eyes full of fury. "Who dares...?" He stopped when he saw his enemies.

Sure, they had fought him before, but they hadn't managed to really hurt him. But now as he looked at them... even Achilles with his partially destroyed mind realized that he had awakened something that should have better been left in peace.

The gargoyles facing him had their eyes alight in white and red. Their faces were twisted in rage, fangs bared while they growled in a most threatening way. Their muscles were kept under constant pressure, the veins clearly visible, while their hands were ready to strike, their razor-sharp claws, which were hidden before, now exposed. Some of them, the ones that had just attacked him, had blood on their claws. They all almost looked... primal, like predators.

Little did Achilles know that grabbing Cassy and her following scream of pure fear had awakened the protective nature of the clan around him. A child scream and they were thrown into action. Before, they were still trying to subdue him, but now the gloves were off. The instinct to protect mixed with animalistic, pure rage, and now they wouldn't stop.

Achilles had seen enough predatory animals in his life to see the signs. This would be a fight to the death. But no, nothing would again separate him from his mate!

"DIE!" he screamed, his bloodlust returning, and then he charged.

The gargoyles did the same, bursting out with their battle screams.

If Achilles had thought that the fight would be the same, he realized fast that this was now something totally different. Now it was personal for them, and they attacked him like berserkers. It didn't matter if he hit one of them so hard that it would break bones. The injured gargoyle would simply get up and attack him again.

They attacked him like a swarm of bees, there were simply too many of them to defend against, even with his strength and thick hide.

Meanwhile, Cassy had run beside Taurus, looking in horror at his injuries. His jaw was coloured purple and bloody. He was still awake, but seemed to have problems with moving, still clutching his weapon in his right hand.

"Taurus..." She knew he would be unable to speak, as it obviously would be too painful for him, but seeing him looking at her was already enough.

The other security forces were busy bringing their injured comrades out of the danger zone, not daring to interfere in the now bloody struggle, which had erupted.

**"GRRAH!"**

Cassy looked up when she heard Achilles' scream... and froze when she saw how bloody it really was. The battle was beyond brutal. She had never imagined that the clan could become so ferocious in a fight. A number of them were wounded, but she was totally incapable to see how badly, because of all the blood flying that painted the Gargoyles crimson.

She saw Achilles hitting Sphinx so hard that she heard at least two of her ribs crack. But she didn't even seem to notice, and slammed her claws deep into his hide.

Achilles had never before encountered something like that. It was as if a force of nature had decided to go against him, and it was totally irrelevant how much he fought and injured them, they simply came back. Their claws cut deep into his hide without any effort. Claws that could cut stone and steel were strong enough to even get through his enhanced, reinforced skin. Already many bloody scars criss-crossed all over his massive body.

He also fought to his best, ramming with his horns, kicking with his hooves and using his fists, but for every injury he gave them, they replied double-fold.

**Slash**

**"IIJJJAUTSCH!"** Achilles screamed, when a claw-slash managed to cleanly cut over his left eye. For a second he only saw red on it, and then nothing.

With only one eye it was much harder to fight. They rained blows and slashes on him. The blood loss was starting to weaken him while his many injuries started to really hurt, with his body working so hard at the limit that he was unable to tune out the pain anymore.

_'I want my mate! I want my children! Why do they deny me my happiness?!' _With each new injury he felt his dream dissolving more and more. He felt it, he would very soon be unable to fight anymore and that would be the end.

Seeing Cassy kneeling beside Taurus he only thought that he again had stolen her from him. His twisted logic now burnt through his brain, and he made a decision that in his world actually made sense. If he couldn't have her here, then Taurus shouldn't have her, too! '_The other side, yes, the other side!'_

Achilles let out a primal scream before pushing away all his attackers. He was by now a bloody mess, looking like something fresh from the slaughterhouse. "No... you won't get her!" he snarled to Taurus. "We will be united on the other side!"

That having been said, he charged towards Cassy, his intent to ram his horns into her.

Cassy was frozen like a deer in the headlights, unable to move a muscle in pure fear at seeing her death advancing on her. _'God... no!' _She wanted to move, but she was totally paralysed.

Taurus saw Achilles running towards them, his intent to kill Cassy. Taurus gripped his weapon. Now the time for second thoughts was over, forcing him into a split-second decision. His friend would die if he wouldn't do something. He was the only one with the power now, to save her.

Ignoring the pain, he held up his weapon, and fired a bolt at the maximum setting directly at the advancing Achilles.

**sppplloonsh**

Achilles hadn't even the time to react before the bolt hit him directly between the eyes. Its momentum was so great that he was thrown back a meter, while the back of his skull broke open, releasing a flood of blood and liquefied brains. He then fell to the ground, dead.

No roar, no scream, just a pathetic thump echoing through the cave tunnels. Silence.

Cassy sobbed in a mixture of terror and relief. Her heart and body still had yet to realize that yes, she was alive.

Taurus dropped his weapon, his strength gone.

_'Forgive me, father...' _was the only thing he thought, staring at the bloody mess that Achilles had become.

Cassy was looking away. Her horror at all the blood and now the dead Achilles had become so great, she felt sick. Not caring how it looked or how it hurt her dignity, the deathly pale Cassy managed to get to a corner of the room, before she violently threw up.

She coughed and already again felt her stomach cramping together for round two, while around her everything dissolved into chaos of voices and noises.

Taurus and Sphinx leaned over her, lights behind their heads like angels. Sphinx pulled a tablecloth from a table, and wrapped the frightened girl. She picked her up, the weight of a human being nothing for a gargoyle.

"Would you like me to take her to the hospital, Taurus?" Sphinx

"You've done enough for New Olympus, Sphinx, you and your clan. I'll take her," Taurus mumbled. Blood dripped from his bottom lip. It was obvious that talking was painful for him.

"You need to go to the hospital yourself, Chief Taurus. I and the rest of my clan will be hale and healthy by the next sunset," Sphinx stated, she herself not feeling her own injuries yet.

"Then I will take care of the mess here. I am not as wounded as you think I am, Sphinx. I may not be as indestructible as a gargoyle, but I can take a blow. My health should be of no worry to you," Taurus stated. "Get her to the hospital."

Sphinx started to head off. She glanced over her shoulder at Taurus. They made eye contract and a pact at the same time. She knew he lied. Oh yes, he could take a blow, but there was something now missing from the Minotaur. Emotional blows were something else…his father's death, Cassy's rape, and now this. She understood. She nodded, and he nodded.

Taurus rubbed the blood from his hands. He crossed his arms, tucking his hands into his elbows.

In a deep booming voice, he turned to the remaining guards and gargoyles. "GET THE WOUNDED TO THE HOSPITAL! NOW! EVERYONE MOVE! CALL THE AMBULANCES!" He had to suppress the pain, deciding that he shouldn't do this until the injury was treated.

There was no clapping, no 'thank the gods', no shouting in happiness, just murmurs and cries. Those who realized they were wounded cried for their gashes. Others cried for the wounded. Others cried for the dead, and others cried for friends. Names, names, names…they cried for their friends, their family members, for those who have died and those who had been saved.

It was the realization…that this fight…that after this fight…that anyone could have been a victim.

Just cries of thankfulness, then of distress of the realization that too heavy of a price has already been paid.

Taurus saw and heard that a lot of the gargoyles, not that the adrenaline had left their bodies, started to wince as the pain of their injuries started to catch up with them. Achilles had managed to injure at least a dozen of them quite strong in the battle, which they hadn't felt during the struggle. Some more had lighter injuries. All of them had in common that their faces were twisted in pain, some shedding tears of pain.

Taurus had real doubts that the two healers of the clan, even with their equipment, could manage this. And some of them had to be treated before dawn, or the injuries would either heal wrong, or would worsen to the point of being permanent.

Taurus prayed that he wasn't making an error with the decision he was about to do. He knew there was bitterness on both sides, along with the mistrust and anger. But this was not the time for this, or Achilles, even in death, would get a last victory. The elders, who held quite some authority, hopefully could convince the clan to get along with it. He also hoped that the hospital actually knew something about gargoyle anatomy.

And he hoped Sphinx would reach the hospital before her pain would return with a vengeance.

**Forest Lands: **

**KRSK-KRSK--KRSKK-K-K**

The air was heavy with the burning scent of rust. It burnt horribly against Boreas's skin, burnt his eyes and his nostrils. Whether it was because of the sharp little flakes of rough metal, or because it once was iron, and therefore toxic for the Fae, was arguable.

But he did not feel weaker…rust was oxidized iron, therefore a different chemical makeup…wasn't it? But he was feeling stronger…just a bit.

He was growing just a bit stronger… Moment by moment he was growing stronger. He was controlling the water, causing it to creep up the bars. The charges in his fingertips became stronger, his electric power became stronger. He sent charges up the streams of water.

But it was working… Oh, it was working!

Rust began to form on the bars, running up with the electric current, with the water, eating away at the iron.

The moments ticked by slowly, as Boreas waited eagerly for the Electrolysis to work its magic. It seemed to take forever, as he watched the electrical water run by the bars of his prison, until finally over three quarters of the bars were rusted through, and with one extreme effort… Boreas rammed himself through the rusted metal, wincing as the remains of the iron burned his skin.

The bars shattered with his impact, tiny pieces of them scattering everywhere, as Boreas dove through the cage and rolled over the ground, shaking the metal off of him. He batted his clothes, as though he had a disease on them, which was accurate considering that was what iron was to his kind.

After he was assured that he had no remnants of the iron on him, Boreas took a single moment to sigh, relieved that he was free, followed by a seething boil of rage for the one who had imprisoned him in the first place.

"ARTEMIS!" Boreas yelled out, his voice cracking the heavens. "WHERE ARE…"

He never finished his sentence, as of that moment a scream that was even louder than his own pierced the night. But this scream was not one of hatred or anger, but seemingly of pain and grief…like the Banshee. He recognized it instantly.

"Artemis?" Boreas wondered, his anger momentarily forgotten, replaced with curiosity.

Boreas reached out with his mind, searching the landscape for the aura of his Godling companion, until he sensed Artemis's presence. Then in the blink of an eye, Boreas vanished from all mortal sight, his body dispensing with the magic of his ancestors, as though breaking into a billion pieces, momentarily everywhere and yet nowhere.

A second later, Boreas was pulled to the other side of the island, where he had sensed Artemis's presence… and found her.

Artemis kneeled on the ground, weeping. Her face looked at nothing, only the darkness of her palms. Her body was pointed towards something…

Boreas took a moment to view his surroundings, and realized that he was at Mount Thanatos. It did not look like Mount Thanatos. The earth was torn and mangled, trees broken, dirt thrown up, and animal sounds were nonexistent…a trashed serenity. He followed Artemis's form, and soon learned what had distressed her.

He just glanced at the form of the fallen Achilles, and just thought, for a moment, that once again the New Olympian security had succeeded in detaining the maniac. He did not need to see the blood…the copious amount of blood…to know that Achilles was dead.

The massive form was stiff, silent…like a pathetic statue…a lump of charcoal. None of his features were distinguishable, everything…his anger, his heat, his hate, his terror, his bristles, and teeth, died and melted into one black lump. There were only echoes of voices and the scrapes along the stone ground as bodies moved. Everyone seemed one uniform blob.

Only Artemis, glowing in Fae magic and distress was sharp and single. Her cries were shrill, her realization evident. Never had Boreas seen the mighty, the brave, the stolid, the Amazonian Artemis like this…never…crying like a child…no…crying like a mother. He never could understand why she loved and protected Achilles so dearly…he never wanted to know why a woman could harbour love for such a monster and allow him to be such a monster, but he understood, at least he could understand, the loss of a child for a mother. She was a "mother", not a particularly good mother, not a particularly wise mother, or even, perhaps, a thoughtful mother…but a loving mother in all sense of the term.

"Artemis…" he started.

The shrill cry became a snarl, and Artemis turned, her face twisted into a sneer, her eyes glowing like a blue moon. Tears became foam at the corner of her mouth. She pulled an arrow from her quiver at her back. It lit up, flaming with orange tendrils. She gripped the arrow so tightly; her fingers turned a ghostly white.

For just a brief moment, Artemis looked like the Artemis of old, the chaste moon goddess, the protector of animals, of children, of young virginal women, the huntress with a bow, the twin sister of Apollo-for just that brief moment, Artemis looked like Artemis.

Then she swung at him, the fiery wisps licking at his face, but still missing their mark by a wide margin.

Everything melted, and Artemis was no longer glorious Artemis.

"YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" she snarled. "YOUR GODDAMN BLOODY FAULT! HE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD!"

She cried out and swung at Boreas. He avoided her every swing. There was no grace involved. A normal mortal could avoid Artemis's blows. She was so wrapped in her heartache, in her anger, that she could not even manage a mere scathing blow.

"HE'S DONE NOTHING TO YOU! NOTHING AT ALL! WHY DID YOU WANT HIM DEAD?" she cried, tears steaming as they ran down her cheek. "NOTHING AT ALL! HE WAS JUST A CHILD!"

She sobbed loudly. "ALL YOUR FAULT YOU SON OF A-"

"ENOUGH!" Boreas screamed.

With one hand, he grabbed the flaming arrow, tightly gripping it in his hand.

"I'm not going to fight you, Artemis, not in your condition," he stated.

"NO, you started this damn fight, and you're not going to walk out of it," she spat out. "I will not let you walk out this fight, Boreas."

Blue electricity spurted from Boreas's one hand into the shaft of the arrow, spreading outward from arrowhead to feather, burning across Artemis's marble white hands. She screamed and fell back.

Boreas held the arrow up for her to see and turned it into black ash, peppering it on the ground before her.

"You are in no condition to fight me Artemis," he told her and turned away. "And I won't fight you. For the sake of your son; you will put down your arms, leave this place and OUR children alone."

"NO!" she screamed, rushing towards him.

**Bwop!**

It was the best Boreas could manage. Electricity would have only angered her, and this was no longer a battle between gods. A well-aimed strike to the temple knocked Artemis out, laying her out flat into the ground.

"I'm sorry, Artemis," he told her, picking her form up in his arms. He carried her back to the cabin in the jungle.

00000000000000000000

**New Olympus Medical Centre, 21:50 PM: **

Senator Raon grunted in frustration, as the nurses attempted to dress his wounds.

"Why hasn't there been any word on my wife's murderer yet?!" he roared.

"Senator, please," one of the nurses, a Sea Nymph, tried to calm him, "I'm sure the security forces will apprehend the assailant before long."

"They'd better," Raon warned. "I want that beast's head served to me on a platter before the first rays of dawn appear!"

Alejandra just sat close by, listening to her father's rants, though her mind was on other things at that moment. Her head was still full from all the night's events, the break-in at her home, her mother's murder, Achilles… her brother…Raon's very own son.

The fact that her parents had lied to her all these years about her having a brother was shock enough, but to learn what her parents had done to him… the years of torment, abuse, their hatred of what he looked like… Like all Olympians, she had grown up hearing the stories of how their kind had been shun and despised by the humans. This was exactly how her parents had treated her brother, so how were they any different from the humans of legend?

Hypocrisy was a very hard, bitter, and fat pill to swallow. And there was no water to soothe it going down either…

She couldn't help, but wonder what was going to happen to her family now. No matter how powerful and influential her father was, he wouldn't be able to keep Achilles a secret for long. The truth would soon come out, and then what would happen to her father?

Her mother was dead, which sadly might be a blessing in disguise. If she had lived, Alejandra didn't doubt that she wouldn't have been able to live down the shame of Achilles' existence, and the truth of what and her husband had done…

…But what about her father?

Her thoughts threatening to tear her apart, Alejandra got up quickly and left the room, as her father continued shouting at the nurses.

She walked down the long corridors of the hospice, paying little heed to the activities going on around her… A Cyclops was proclaimed the father of three babies (from three different mothers), an old Minotaur had one of his horns replaced, and a Gorgon had to have two of the snakes from her head amputated… And there was a sort of chaos going on in another wing of the hospital that echoed down the hallway.

"_I hear they caught that lunatic hybrid…" _a distant voice sounded from somewhere.

Alejandra's ears pricked up at the sound of the word 'hybrid', and turned to where the voice had emitted. She soon spotted a couple of male orderlies, a Satyr and a Tree Nymph, chatting amongst themselves.

"Guess again," the Nymph said to the Satyr. "I heard they completely shot the halfling to pieces. Seems he couldn't keep his temper in check, and the forces had no choice but to blow the psycho to bits...any force necessary. Take three guesses why there is chaos in the west wing..."

"Geez," the Satyr shuddered. "Thank all goodness that I don't have duty in that wing. And whatever could turn someone into a freak like that?"

Alejandra felt her mind relax a little at the mention that her brother was dead, but it was mingled together with a little emptiness. She wouldn't call it sadness exactly, as she hadn't known her brother other from when he attacked her home, and killed her mother.

"According to my sister, his folks apparently," the Nymph replied. "The forces just got all the evidence they need that Achilles, that's the psycho, was none other than Senator Raon's son."

"Senator Raon???" the Satyr said shocked. "You're kidding?!"

"May the Gods strike me down if I am," the Nymph continued, while Alejandra felt her heart sinking lower than a shipwreck. "After they recovered his corpse, the security forces confirmed from his DNA that he was indeed the Senator's son, and they had already got statements from people who've known the family for years. They even managed to get hold of the family's doctor, and from him they found out that he had been the one who delivered the guy in the first place. He claims that he didn't know the kid was still alive, as the Senator had told him that the kid had died, and that's all he knew."

"Didn't he ever suspect anything was wrong?"

The Nymph shrugged. "Considering what the poor kid looked like, before he supposedly died, the doc just assumed the folks had wanted to bring him up in their house, away from all the people who would undoubtedly discriminate him of his appearance. He says he never suspected what they were really doing, and vows if he had then he would have reported it right away."

"So what'll happen now?" the Satyr asked, as he swept the floor. "Somehow, I doubt this sort of publicity is gonna win the Senator any votes. People don't take too kindly to hypocrisy…"

The Nymph snorted. "Got that right. If anything, he'll be lucky to get away with a lynching. Considering the bloodshed of the last days, they will make him responsible by proxy. I hear from my sister that the forces are on their way right now to arrest him. Should be quite a show when they…"

Alejandra didn't bother to listen in on their conversation any further, as she had heard all she needed to confirm her fears and suspicions. She turned and made her way back to her father's room.

As she walked past by the front-desk of that hospital wing, she saw at the end of the corridor a couple of armed guards making their way down to the desk. If they weren't here for her father then it would only be a short matter of time before they received the word to.

She quickly trotted into her father's room. The nurses were gone, her father's wounds all neatly bandaged up. He lay snoozing in his bed, goggle-eyed. They must have given him a sedative or something before they had left.

Alejandra approached the side of his bed quietly, and touched his head soothingly. "Father?" she whispered into his ear.

He sort of shovelled his head toward her, seemingly trying to focus his eyes on her, but the sedative was making it difficult to do so.

"I do love you, father," she told him. "I will always love you, no matter what…" She stroked the side of his head. "In spite of everything that's happened, finding out about Achilles and everything, I still love you."

She seemed to be finding it hard to breathe also.

"I don't want to watch you loose everything you've worked so hard for over the years," she breathed deeply. "To watch you paraded on the streets like a common criminal, to be hated like a human… I can't!"

Tears streaked down her face, and she kissed her father's nozzle. "What can I do?" she asked him, even though he could not hear her.

00000000000000000000

From outside, down the corridor, the two guards whom Alejandra had seen were at the desk talking with the receptionist.

"What room is Senator Raon in?" the guard with the flame-filled head, Helios, asked, his uniform having traces of blood on it from the battle.

"204, down the corridor," the receptionist, a dark-green skinned woman, replied and pointed in the direction, wondering where the hell the blood came from. On another thought, she had no desire to know it.

"Many thanks," Helios said gratefully, and then together with his deputy, they set off down toward the room.

It wasn't very often that Helios got to arrest someone of great stature importance, like a Senator. He had been ordered to do so, even before leaving Mt. Thanatos. After all the bloodshed and horror of the last hour, it would be at least some condolence for him.

But before they even got halfway down the corridor…

**Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing!**

A beeping alarm set off all through the hospice floor, alerting the nurses and doctors to their stations.

"Room 204!" a nurse yelled out, while another one grabbed hold of a small breathing apparatus device, following the others into the room.

Helios and the second guard, a wolf-faced man—a Lycaon, raced up to the room, but stayed outside, knowing better than to get in the way of the medical personnel.

From inside, they watched as the nurses and doctors raced around the Senator's bed, passing medical scanners, attaching breathing apparatus's to his nozzle, and even performing CPR.

They didn't notice the young Centaur girl huddled in the corner, watching the whole scene with an expressionless face.

A few minutes past, and the medical personnel had tried every treatment they knew of, but with no success. Finally, the doctor sighed and told them all to back off…

"Okay, everyone, call it in. Time of death, 22:04."

"Ohhh blasted Tartarus!" Helios swore. "Now of all times..."

His deputy elbowed his ribs hurriedly, pointing toward the young girl in the corner.

"Huh?" Helios said, and then widened his eyes, as he recognized the female in question. "Miss Alejandra," he said, going up to her. "I'm so sorry to have to be here at this time."

"It's all right," she said quietly. "I assume you weren't here for a statement, as you took that hours ago."

"Um, well," Helios said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, we were… That is, we were supposed to… "

"It's okay, officer," she told him. "I heard from the personnel here that some officers were coming to arrest my father."

Helios gulped, but nodded his head. "Yes, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but… the intruder at your house, the one who killed your mother, was none other than your own brother, the hybrid, Achilles."

Alejandra raised an eyebrow at him, but other than that did not seem so surprised, which wasn't shocking considering she had already known that in the first place. "Indeed?" she said, feigning ignorance.

"Yes, we discovered he had been born to your mother and father some years before you were born. Apparently, they had conceived him before having their Genetic treatment done, and thus… Well, you saw for yourself."

"Yes," Alejandra said emotionlessly.

'_It must be the shock,'_ Helios thought. "We uncovered evidence that… Well, I'm sorry to say that it's evidence showing that your parents had abused Achilles from very early childhood, up to the point where they abandoned him in the forest-lands, seemingly leaving him there to die."

"That's terrible," Alejandra said honestly. "I find it unbelievable that my parents could do such a thing!"

"Yes, I know," Helios said regretfully. "We were coming here to arrest your father on child-abuse charges, but seeing as now both he and Achilles are… no longer with us. There doesn't seem to be anymore point."

"No, there isn't," Alejandra breathed.

"I can't understand how this could have occurred," one of the doctors said to the others. "His injuries weren't even close to being that severe. He should never have gone into cardiac arrest like this."

Helios listened, as the doctors battled on about the Senator's death, wondering how some people could be so insensitive when a dead person's close-ones were right in the room. "Perhaps we should leave?" he said to her, leading her to the door. Alejandra nodded, and followed.

"Well, then how do you account for this?" the doctors continued arguing.

"I don't know, but… hello?"

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but… Well, there seems to be some blood on the pillow here, near by his head, around the mouth. But he wasn't coughing up any blood during the attack, you saw for yourself."

"Well, maybe we just didn't notice it? After all, in case you hadn't notice, we were pretty busy. Or maybe some of his injuries opened up while we were trying to resuscitate him? Or even a blood clot possibly. Even one the size of a pin head can down a titan."

"Maybe…" The doctor continued looking at the bloodstain strangely. He would have noticed if any of the wounds had opened up, as there would have been blood everywhere. And there was no blood around his mouth now, so… where had the bloodstain, on the pillow by his mouth, come from?

_**The End**_

_**But the saga will continue in: "Fallout"**_


	15. Chapter 15

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

_Ignoring the pain, he held up his weapon, and fired a bolt at the maximum setting directly at the advancing Achilles._

_**Sppplloonsh**_

_Achilles hadn't even the time to react before the bolt hit him directly between the eyes. Its momentum was so great that he was thrown back a meter, while the back of his skull broke open, releasing a flood of blood and liquefied brains. He then fell to the ground, dead._

_000000000000000_

"_You need to go to the hospital yourself, Chief Taurus. I and the rest of my clan will be hale and healthy by the next sunset," Sphinx stated, she herself not feeling her own injuries yet. _

"_Then I will take care of the mess here. I am not as wounded as you think I am, Sphinx. I may not be as indestructible as a Gargoyle, but I can take a blow. My health should be of no worry to you," Taurus stated. "Get her to the hospital."_

_000000000000000_

_Taurus saw and heard that a lot of the Gargoyles, not that the adrenaline had left their bodies, started to wince as the pain of their injuries started to catch up with them. Achilles had managed to injure at least a dozen of them quite strong in the battle, which they hadn't felt during the struggle. Some more had lighter injuries. All of them had in common that their faces were twisted in pain, some shedding tears of pain._

_Taurus had real doubts that the two healers of the clan, even with their equipment, could manage this. And some of them had to be treated before dawn, or the injuries would either heal wrong, or would worsen to the point of being permanent._

_Taurus prayed that he wasn't making an error with the decision he was about to do._

_000000000000000_

"_NO!" she screamed, rushing towards him. _

_**Bwop!**_

_It was the best Boreas could manage. Electricity would have only angered her, and this was no longer a battle between gods. A well-aimed strike to the temple knocked Artemis out, laying her out flat into the ground. _

"_I'm sorry, Artemis," he told her, picking her form up in his arms. He carried her back to the cabin in the jungle. _

_**-The Darkness within, Part V-**_

**00000000000000000000**

To Adapt is to Survive 

_**Fallout, Part I**_

**Mt. Thanatos, 09:30PM:**

"I don't like this!" Typhoon shouted heatedly to the elder. "I do not want the clan to be dependent on the charity of them!"

"We don't like this anymore than you, but do you want to see poor Anthilophia crippled for life because of our pride?! Or Acheronian?" the elder shouted back with a hoarse voice, while pointing towards the many injured clan members.

A big number of them had received a lot of really ugly injuries during the battle. They hadn't felt it during the battle, with the adrenaline pumping through their bodies, but with the painkilling factor now gone, the injuries had caught up with them. Many were heavily bruised and bleeding, had open wounds, broken bones, and were in serious pain.

Anthilophia had had one of her wings broken so badly that surgery was needed to correct it fast, or the dawn would cripple her wing forever. The pain was making her cry all the time. Acheronian whose ribcage and left leg had been literally shattered, and he had past out due to the pain, the fractured bones threatening to pierce his inner organs.

And the two healers of the clan were fighting a battle they had no chance to win. There were simply too many who were too badly injured. For some of the injuries, they hadn't even the means to treat their injuries properly.

"Do you really want to do that?" the elder asked again.

Taurus had said, in no terms, to the elders that he doubted the clan could treat all its injured members. So while the ambulances was already on the way, he had said that either they would agree to his offer to have them treated at the medical facilities of New Olympus, or to risk crippling or even losing a number of them. Dawn was still far away, and stone-sleep didn't always heal complicated injuries, it could worsen them.

Surprisingly, most of the elders agreed, even if with grinding fangs, that Taurus was right. This was bound to end in disaster for the clan, if the injured weren't treated fast. They of course mistrusted every Olympian, but they had little alternative. But of course there were also the ones vehemently opposed to this.

"No! Of course not!" Ones such as Typhoon who had been horrified to even think of his brothers and sisters being treated in a New Olympian hospital. Who knew what they would do to them? "But to think that you and the others could even think of this..."

"Quiet, young one!" the elder shouted, his patience ended. "I hate it, too. But in this time of need, principles sometimes have to stay back! The ones without injury will go with the injured to stay guard. Now, help getting them ready for transport!"

Typhoon felt angry. The Second had sided with the elders in this matter, so there was nothing that could be done about it now. And there was little alternative, or else the clan would suffer horribly. Sphinx had already left to carry the Human back to the city.

"I won't forget this..." he grumbled, accepting that he had to comply for the clan's good, as much as he hated it. Stone was thicker than water…as Gargoyles would say, and it was a proven fact.

Typhoon then left, and the elder looked to Taurus, who was suppressing his own pain. "All right...but we still don't like taking help from the city. This goes against our pride."

"Pride can be something wonderful...or destructive. And to help the injured, you made the right choice. We all have to make sacrifices sometimes in our lives..." Taurus said mumbling, his swelling injured jaw preventing him from speaking clearly.

Since the elder knew that it was Taurus who had given off the deadly shot, it was clear what he meant. He knew that any kind of comment would be the wrong one, and excused himself with a nod, to look after the lesser injured.

_'We all have to make sacrifices...' _Taurus replayed in his thoughts. _'How true...'_

Loud howling came from the outside, announcing the arrival of the first ambulance hover vans. They had literally ordered every single ambulance vehicle in all of New Olympus to speed towards Mt. Thanatos in a Class-1 emergency, ignoring any kind of speed limit on the way.

He would have to notify the hospital over the radio of the new situation.

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**Same Time, Near The New Olympus Medical Centre:**

Carrying Cassy, Sphinx felt the burning in her chest. Her injuries had caught up with her, and the pain was immense. Added to all the bruises she had received at Achilles' hands, he had shattered at least two of her ribs, cracked several more, and of course gliding with broken bones hurt like hell.

Gargoyles were tough, yes, and their bones were even tougher. That was a fact that had saved many Gargoyles over the course of history in situations that would have been deadly for others. But once their bones were actually broken, they became as vulnerable as everyone else. A broken bone is no different from any other broken bone.

_'I'm an idiot!' _she cursed herself for her foolishness. She knew she had been injured, even without feeling it, and now she paid the price for ignoring it. _'I had to be the Good Samaritan and ignore myself...again...'_

"Urrgh!" she winced, as Cassy shifted, putting pressure on her cracked bones.

_'Only a little more...' _She was already inside the city limits, and the hospital wasn't far now. She felt more and more that Cassy wouldn't be the only one who needed to be there.

The thought was revolting for her. Not so much for the fact that it was in the city, but more because of being treated there by people who basically had no idea of Gargoyle anatomy. But what choice had she? The pain got worse every second, and her strength slowly started to fail her, which was no wonder, considering the hard battle that she had been wounded in it. She could only pray that everything would go all right, and that the staff in their uninformed state of her body's structure wouldn't accidentally butcher her.

Sphinx winced again when Cassy shifted. Looking at the human girl, she could clearly see that she was very pale, the shock to her system, caused by the events of this evening had to be severe, and she needed treatment for it. Something like that could be very dangerous if not closely monitored.

Finally, she saw the brightly lit building of the hospital directly ahead. But right then...

"AAAAHH!" It felt as if a red-hot iron spear was pushed through her with brute force. Her strength started to leave her completely.

_'NOT NOW!' _Trying to gather her last strength, she tried to at least make it to the roof of the building, where the landing pads for the emergency vehicles were. _'I will make it! I WILL MAKE IT!'_

She barely managed it actually, before she crash-landed on one of the landing pads, trying to protect Cassy from the impact, which of course hurt her even more. A white-hot flare of pain shot into every fibre of her body.

**"RRRAAAHHHHGGGGHH!" **It was like the roar of a wounded animal that echoed throughout the night. The shock of this sudden spike of pain was too much for her, and she fainted.

However, this at least had one positive result.

"What was that?" two members of the hospital staff, a male Naiad and Harpy, ran up the stairs towards the landing pads. They had just been about to go on break, when this pained roar had echoed down the stairs.

"By the Gods!" the Naiad said, looking at the picture before them.

There was a... he actually had no idea what it was… on the landing pad, soaked in blood, holding something in her arms. They could barely see that whatever species it was, the being was clearly female, with someone wrapped up in a blanket.

The Harpy-man walked with caution towards them. He winced when he saw the many dark spots on the winged female. Looking at the person in the blanket, he gasped. He had seen her in the hospital and knew that she was the adoptive daughter of one of the doctors, who at the moment was also in their care.

_'I have no clue what's going on here, but we should act fast. I don't like how pale she is,' _he thought.

"Quick, alert the emergency staff! Two emergencies on the roof! One unknown species!" he called to his colleague who didn't waste time and ran back down the stairs. It took only a minute, then the elevator doors opened, revealing the emergency team, their fast reaction the fruits of countless drills.

"Situation?!" the leader of the team called, while they moved both unconscious females on the hover stretchers.

"One Human female, physical shock most likely. One female of unknown species, extensive wounds and possibly broken bones and inner injuries!" he reported.

"Damn!" the team leader cursed, while they moved back into the elevator to descend to the treatment areas. "Go through the computers! We have to find out what the hell she is!"

Little did they know that in minutes, they not only would know, but the hospital would see more of this species than had been seen in over 100 years. But not many would pay attention to that, with the organized chaos breaking out. Wounds were wounds, bones were bones.

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It was 20 minutes later, while the hospital was very busy to treat a species that hadn't been seen in New Olympus in a long time, along wounded security personnel, when the first rumours started to circulate and escape outside the building. It was when Senator Raon had died, just when he was about to get arrested.

Trickling through the chaos were whispers, "Killed himself rather than face jail time, what a pity…."

Manty had no idea of most of it. He was still recovering from the injuries that Achilles had caused, although by now he was mostly all right, thanks to modern medicine. He only knew that something must have happened, a winged 'thing', obviously a Gargoyle, had brought a shocked Cassy to the hospital while horribly injured herself, and that he hated to be out of the loop.

Looking to the sleeping Cassy in the bed beside his (it was a room for several patients, but he had been the only one until now), he was relieved that it had been nothing serious. Her treatment had been easy. Oxygen for her breathing problems, mild medication for her dizziness, upset stomach, and minor body pains. Thanks to the medication and pure exhaustion, the little Human girl was out, and would be out for a few hours.

'She'll sleep quite well,' Manty knew.

They had told him when they had wheeled her in that the female Gargoyle was at the moment in surgery, her inner injuries quite serious because of shifted fragments of her broken ribs. Not much, but at least he wasn't totally in the dark now. He would visit her as soon as she was awake.

The only other thing that he had vaguely heard now was that there was something big going on in their hospital wing, although he had no idea what. But judging by the amount of noise outside, there seemed to be much work.

_'And if someone doesn't explain to me soon what has happened, I will demand an explanation!' _he thought, hoping that Chief Taurus, or at least one of his constables, would finally come to him.

As if his wish had been heard and granted, the door opened.

Manty gasped when he saw Taurus. His whole lower jaw was covered in a plastic cast, as it was used to protect this area while the treatment needed to heal up. The upper jaw was slightly discoloured as well, but seemed to be in better shape. And his eyes looked as if he had just aged ten years.

"Chief Taurus! What happened?!" Manty asked him in worry.

"Thisch will need schome time to eschplain." Taurus' speech sounded somewhat funny, thanks to the swelling, numbness from medication, and the stiff cast. It would have seemed laughable because it was Taurus, but it was equally un-laughable because it was Taurus. Thankfully the cast would be removed by dawn, and he would be free to speak without trouble. "And it isch really a lot I hasch to tell you..."

Manty didn't doubt that for even a second.

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**Meanwhile, In The City:**

Rumours travelled fast in New Olympus. In that regard it was no different than any other isolated city. Rumours had already circulated that a dangerous inmate had broken out of the Psychiatric hospital. The rumours had become much stronger after the attack on Senator Raon's house.

The security tried to hold it all under wraps, but the news that it was the same dangerous psycho had spread like wildfire. Through indiscretion, Achilles' name became known, and what he looked like.

However, that was all nothing to what now circulated through the city.

The psycho had apparently been shot to death by security, while at the same time, there were unusual things going on in the Medical Centre. Many people had forgotten the Gargoyle clan by now, so they didn't understand the name, or the description what they looked like. Those who did became only more curious.

The rumour pot was literally boiling, totally impossible to keep secret.

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**Achilles' Cabin: **

Artemis moaned, her senses slowly returning, as she regained consciousness.

"Uhhhh... "

"Feeling better?" Boreas's voice asked.

Artemis' eyes sprang open, and she found herself lying on the floor-rug of the cabin, with Boreas at the foot of the rug, standing over her. Boreas had seemingly shrunk himself down to size, so that he could fit in the cabin.

Artemis roared, and tried to get up to attack, but found that she could not move…?

"I've bound your body to the floor, Artemis," Boreas told her straightforwardly. (How other way was he to talk to her… Set on a comfy chair and discuss it with her over tea? Dear Kronos, that wasn't even possible with the old Artemis) "I did not think you would be anymore co-operative when you awoke than you were when you were last awake, so I took precautions."

Artemis snarled at him, as she continued struggling against her invisible bonds, but after a few minutes she gave up, accepting the futility of it all. Her body grew limp, as white as a corpse, and she began to cry. It was not the bonds she cried out against, but the realization, the repeated cracks in her emotional state, that a less than physical but even stronger bond had been snapped like a wire.

"You can't do anything worse to me, you son of a bitch! You can't, you can't, you can't," she screamed and spat at him.

Boreas sighed. "You know, a few hours ago I was all ready to murder you, Artemis, after you left me in that iron cage of yours. But…I can't…with everything that has happened, I cannot. Parts of me want to..."

Artemis seethed, as she glared up at her hated enemy, but along with her glare of hatred there was also a fit of despair also. All of her wanted to kill him…but the liquid of despair was slowly drowning the flames of rage.

Boreas, knowing the pain behind the red irises, sighed again, and looked down at her in pity. "I am truly sorry for what happened to your son, Artemis. I know you cared for him deeply."

"You don't know anything!" she spat. "You've had hundreds of children born from your liaisons with Humans, and you didn't give so much as a snot that they existed until they were heroes! And then you'd strike them down if they were too haughty for your liking. And don't give me anything of that garbage about all of New Olympus being your children! If you had ever had any true children of your own, you would know there is no comparison!"

Boreas frowned. Thousands of years would eat away the memories of the best of the Fey. Maybe the legends were true, maybe they weren't. But time is tedious and long, prone to creating new beginnings, and the possibilities of new beginnings. He was no longer the Zeus of old…he was not Zeus anymore…and now he could keep things in perspective…which is what spared Artemis.

She was right, he was not longer Zeus…

"Perhaps," he finally spoke. "But, Artemis, please try to understand… I had no choice. I couldn't save your son, and frankly… I think deep down, he didn't even want to be saved. Rage and vengeance are like poison. They blacken the soul, Artemis. They're like a dark void, luring us all in. I've seen countless mortals over the centuries succumb to its darkness, treading the edge of it, yourself included. No one is immune. But as for Achilles… he fell into that void long ago, long before I even heard of him."

Artemis visibly shook, her fists clenched in fury. "You still should have saved him," she insisted, but didn't speak with the same rage in her voice that she had moments ago. "You could have moved him away, you could let us ago, let us leave this damn place…"

"I could have, but to what end?" Boreas actually looked sorrowful when he said this. "Artemis, I did try to help him when he was in New Olympus. I tried to help heal his fractured mind, but… the poor boy's mind was too far-gone to save. Even right before the end, he was even then attacking our subjects, killing and attempting to kill them on sight. As much as I wanted to help him, I couldn't. If I had let him survive, there's no telling what damage he would have eventually done. There was no place safe for the two of you to go, and no one safe from him. It was only a matter of time before there would be no one for him to attack but you…."

Artemis wept bitter tears, a crack of realization.

"At least this way," Boreas continued, "he will have some measure of peace. At least this way, the rage has finally stopped… for both him, and you."

He turned to the doorway and started to leave. Artemis was bowled over, crying gutturally. She was not going anywhere anytime soon.

"I have some business to take care of," he answered, sympathy in his voice. Just sympathy, but with no regret.

He looked back at her, and then just walked off into the forest, the sound of soft crying insects all around him, and disappeared into the sky in a crack of thunder.

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**New Olympus Medical Centre, Few Hours Later:**

Sphinx had been rushed into surgery, as soon as the medical staff had discovered what species she was. Thankfully, their databases still had all the information of Gargoyle species from over a decade ago, so surgery hadn't been a problem.

After the surgeons and doctors had worked their medical magic, Sphinx was finally in the clear. If it wasn't for those blasted nurses telling her to sit still and rest, she would be standing by herself now. The surgeons were forced to rush through the surgery before she would turn to stone in the morning. They did an excellent job. Bones were set, pain dissipated, and stone-sleep would finish the job.

She moaned a little, as she moved her wings from side to side, still feeling a little pain, but at least they were nowhere as severe as they had been. Falling on them from quite a height had of course damaged them.

She wondered how the rest of her clan was doing? There were others even more severely wounded than she. She was also particularly worried about Chief Taurus… She had seen the way he had looked after he taken Achilles down. The way his eyes looked when he taken a life was something she could never forget.

As far as she knew, aside from when that shapeshifter had killed Taurus's father, there had not been a well-known killing since then. But of course, she had grown up secluded on a mountain, so what would she know?

She knew that some of her clan had been brought in, some who were even now in surgery like she had been. Sphinx could only hope that they had taken it well, as she knew firsthand that none of them were keen to be here in the city. But the hospital staff were caring and gentle, a bit too caring for her liking, but she felt that her clan were in very capable hands. She just hoped her clan could handle themselves.

The hospital gown she was wearing right now was one of the things she didn't care for. It meant that even if she would be capable of it, she couldn't get up, as it was one of those that only covered the front, which was actually a benefit considering her wings, and she had absolutely no desire to show off her bare backside.

_'I really hope they manage to get the blood out, or I'll have to wait until one of the clan brings a spare...' _she thought. They had of course removed her top and loincloth before getting her into surgery, and right now they were in the wash to get out all the blood.

She felt strangely naked right now, despite usually walking around in attire that was just enough to ensure her modesty.

"Hello there," a friendly voice suddenly greeted, and Sphinx looked up to see Manty smiling down at her, from beside her hospital bed. "My, you're looking a lot healthier now than you were when you were first brought in," he said. "I heard Gargoyles could heal in a night, but my, this is just ridiculous…"

Manty had recovered a little more from his treatment, and despite the insistence of his nurses to sit still, he had gotten up, determined to help out at least a little with the hospital' newest patients. He couldn't treat them, but at least he could offer them some support. After all, everyone was way too busy to force him back to bed. They could yell all they wanted to. Cassy was still sleeping, so she wouldn't miss him.

"Good to see you, too, Manty. No, I have to thank your hospital for this," she smiled warmly, wiggling a bandaged wing. "I'm glad to see you up and about. Tell me, do you know anything of how my clan are doing?"

Manty shrugged. "So far, they're all responding well to their treatments as far as I heard, but not all of them have been seen to yet. Remember, we do have an awful lot of patients this evening… or is it morning?"

Sphinx smiled. "If it was morning, then you and I wouldn't be talking right now, would we, Manty?"

Manty laughed. "Oh yes, of course. Forgive me, but tonight has been absolutely crazy. That one warrior of your clan that's guarding the door gives everyone a sinister look, but he seems to be so unsure that he lets everyone in, me included."

Sphinx knew she had to get out who it was, so that she could lecture him.

Manty continued. "I'm only glad that it's now all over, and at least we don't have to worry about that lunatic, Achilles, anymore. Maybe now, Cassy can finally get some peace."

"Let's hope so," Sphinx agreed. "How are you anyway?"

Manty shrugged. "Doing okay. The pain's gone at least, aside from a slight ache in my back legs, but other than that I'm fine. The nurses wanted me to stay in bed, but I told them there was no way. I'm healthy enough to stand, so I can help out with the patients here. Besides, who knows better of Gargoyle physiology than me?"

Manty opened his mouth to say something more, but before he could…

"DON'T TELL ME ABOUT NO VISITORS, FAMILY ONLY, AND ALL THAT PILE OF MINOTAUR SHIT! GET OUT OF OUR WAY!!!"

"Oh ye Gods," Manty sighed, as he heard the unmistakable ground-shuddering stomps of New Olympus's youngest and well-known gigolo. Chaos topping on a chaos parfait…

"OUT OF THE WAY, HOT STUFF COMING THROUGH!" Cyc boomed, his voice and feet shaking the ward. "DON'T WANT TO GET BURN…HEY, NURSEY! I'LL SEE YOU LATER…YOU TOO…AND MAYBE YOU IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT…"

"Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse," Manty muttered.

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Two orderlies, a Satyr and a Tree Nymph, came into one of the wards, checking if any of the patients needed fresh sheets, shots of painkillers or such. The ward was almost empty save for two Gargoyles at the end, and one Human who were all sleeping off the sedatives they had been given.

"So this is New Olympus's one and only Human, huh," the Tree Nymph mused, looking down at the sleeping girl. "Huh, I figured she'd be taller. Whatever did that psycho hybrid ever see in her? I mean, look at her, she's a midget compared to what he was."

The Satyr shrugged. "Maybe he liked them small and delicate?"

The Nymph blew through his teeth. "Must have given her insides a thorough thrashing, that's all I can say. I never saw him, but from what I hear, the guy was big enough to pick a Cyclops up off his feet… literally."

The Satyr sniggered a little. "Bet she liked it though once he got going. I mean, let's face it… the little bitch isn't going to have a lot of males crowding up to court her. Who'd want to have anything to do with a Human? Seems to me that that guy and she were a match made in Olympus."

"Destiny's couple," the Nymph agreed. "A freak for a freak. Oh well, guess some people are just meant to be alone. Come on, let's go see to Ward G."

As the two of them left the ward, they didn't notice the small tear crop up from one of Cassy's eyes and roll down her cheek, or the way she clenched her fist fiercely…

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"Hey, babe!" Cyc flashed his smile at a Griffin-nurse, flexing his bicep at her. Only Cyc's behaviour could distract nurses (and doctors!) from their critical charges. "What's a sweet little hellcat like you doing in a … "

"I think that will do!" Manty said, raising his voice, pushing his paw in the fleshy end of the Cyclops. "Nurse, please go find Doctor Kleinius, and ask him what's happening with the Gargoyle patient with the multiple head wounds."

The nurse nodded thankfully, and left after giving Cyc a double-glare.

Cyc gave her another smile, winking at her while clicking his teeth.

"Smooth, Cyc," Cyan said dryly. "_Real_ smooth."

"What?" Cyc asked, honestly confused.

Cyan ignored him, and looked to Manty. "We came as soon as we heard what happened. How's Cassy?"

"She's fine," Manty assured her. "She's resting now, but my colleagues assured me that she'll pull through."

Cyan sighed in relief.

"Good thing, too," Cyc breathed heavily. "If anything had happened to her, I would have gone straight to Tartarus, dragged that filthy stinking Achilles' soul back by it's fat snout, and beaten his face so bad that not even Hades would want him!"

"Cyc," Cyan said, touching his leg calmingly. "It's over." She looked back to Manty. "We heard that Achilles had been killed during the attack. Was that true?"

Manty nodded. "Yes, but it's a really ugly story, and not mine to tell." He remembered what Taurus had told him, and he had no desire to repeat these details to others. And Taurus was right now sleeping until the cast would be off in the morning.

Manty then realized something. "Wait a minute, how did you hear of all this?"

"You won't believe how many rumours are flying around. Most of it is somewhat fantastic, and I don't believe most of it. But we heard that there was a battle, and that Cassy was brought in... Uhhh, better expect quite a pack of nosy people when you leave," Cyan told them, remembering that she already had spotted some information gatherers loitering around the hospital.

Manty knew what that meant. While there wasn't any professional journalism on the island, as there was simply no need, because there were people who they called information gatherers. They did as the name implied, and what they got they put on the data network for everyone to read. Manty had no illusion, as the whole island would speak about it by morning.

Sphinx felt like groaning. _'Perfect... Now my clan will be put into the spotlight. Something we have no use for, especially right now.'_

"Can we see Cassy?" Cyc asked hopefully.

Manty shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Like I said, she's under sedation, and won't be fully conscious until tomorrow morning. She needs her rest."

Cyc and Cyan both looked disappointed, and worried, but they nodded acceptingly.

"Oh, by the way," Manty said brightly. "I don't believe you've met Sphinx, have you?" He indicated the Gargoyle, lying on the bed close by. "This is Sphinx, leader of the Gargoyle clan on Mount Thanatos. She helped Cassy a lot when she went missing."

Sphinx gave each of them, including Cyc, a warm smile. "Pleased to meet you," she said.

"Uhhh... What is a Gargoyle?" Cyan asked in ignorance. Cassy hadn't actually told her about them, so she was in the dark about what a Gargoyle was.

Sphinx rolled her eyes. "Oh, your poor educational system..." she mumbled, although she guessed that the don't-talk-don't-remember strategy had been quite successful.

Cyc stared at her, his eyes wide. "Hellooo, gorgeous," he breathed. "Where have you been all my life?!"

Sphinx nearly fell out of her bed, her eyes widened and flashing bright red. On reflex to her sudden emotional surge, the claws on her right hand emerged. Cyc made a step backwards in surprise. He knew he didn't want to come close to _those_.

Sphinx expected hatred and anger from the New Olympians, but received only kindness from the staff. But this… this… this was more than she bargained for. Now she had another reason to avoid New Olympus.

Of course this wouldn't be the first time Cyc made a woman avoid a place…

Cyan and Manty both groaned…

"Don't mind Cyc," Cyan hastily said, glaring up at her friend. "He would go after every living female on the island… or even the planet, if he had the chance."

"Hey!" Cyc said indignantly, coming over his surprise. "Isn't life all about exploration? And besides, wouldn't it be a crime to hold all this back from the entire female population, before they got a chance for a taste?!" He turned, flexing his muscles, and jiggled his buttocks at them.

Sphinx swooned. Was this guy for real??? Maybe she should push out the claws of her left hand as well, to make him shut up?

"Cyc," Cyan hissed. "Sometimes I think you have your brain down in your…"

"Maybe you two should go to the cafeteria," Manty hurriedly suggested. "Get something to eat?"

"But we…" Cyc began.

"Then go get something for us then!" Manty hissed.

Cyc blinked, but then shrugged. "If you say so, Manty my Manticore… Catch ya later!"

Cyan felt faint. "I give up," she muttered. "Sorry about this," she apologized to Sphinx, and hurried after her friend before he started chatting up some of the nurses again.

"_Those_ are Cassy's friends?" Sphinx asked, a little in surprise and a lot in disbelief.

"Afraid so," Manty said bemused.

"I like the Centaur girl," Sphinx admitted. "But the Cyclops boy… if boy is the right word for him… How in the name of the Dragon did she ever become friends with someone like him???"

Manty shrugged. "Bad luck," he smirked. "Actually though… Now, if you tell anyone what I'm about to say, I will lie like a Cerberus. But Cyc… Now, he maybe a bit of a, what is it the young people call… a party-animal? But despite all his faults, he has actually been a good friend to Cassy. He has always been the first to speak up for her, and has always been quick to defend her honour should the need arise. I can't actually think of a better friend for my daughter, with the exception of Cyan who is always by her side."

Sphinx smiled. "Well, it's good to know Cassy has people who watch out for her… But one thing… " She looked curiously at Manty. "Not that I'm an expert in it, but I find it odd that a male like that who flirts with so many females, could possibly stay close friends with two of them?"

Manty shrugged. "Actually, Cyc flirts with them just as much as any other female, every chance he can get even. He even asked Cassy to marry him once, not too long ago."

Sphinx blinked. "Now _that_ would have made an fascinating marriage to see."

"Tell me about it," Manty said, shuddering visibly. "I'm just glad Cassy said no, otherwise… " He shuddered again, even worse then before. "I would have had to get used to calling Cyc my son in law, and knowing him, he probably would have start calling me 'Dad'!"

Sphinx giggled. "It would certainly have made your family picnics interesting."

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**Meanwhile, In The Morgue:**

It was an epic task bringing the massive corpse into morgue, simply epic. Now the even more epic task of dissecting the body lay ahead.

It was quiet in the Morgue. It was designed for silence, not so much for the sake of the examiners, but for the sake of any passers-bys who might get upset at the sound of drills and saws… the sounds of dissection.

Still, hubbub from the upper floors occasionally vibrated to the Morgue. Dr. Argus would occasionally glance up and fix his goggles, tools and such. He couldn't think of the word to describe the scenario. Upstairs was chaos, and downstairs he was working on what caused the chaos, the death and destruction. There were more bodies in the freezer for him to examine and fix up. Amazing and awe inspiring were utterly inappropriate.

Perhaps ironic may be the closest term he could think of. He glanced at the metal table, staring at the Cyclops-sized body. He shook his head. A body was a body down here.

The Titan examiner prodded the wound in Achilles' head with a metal prod. What little grey matter remained needed removed, preserved, and put on slides for future examination. Opportunities such as this rarely rose - No, they never arose.

So many places could benefit from this examination, such as Genetics, psychology, and sociology… the opportunities were endless.

"Amazing," the Minotaur nurse said, pulling up a corner of the sheet. She spied many, many nicks and cuts from the battle with the Gargoyles. She pulled the sheet off of the corpse, revealing the mass of scars. "I wonder what kept him going. Was it his genetics, or just plain will?"

"We'll find out in examination," the Titan replied, picking up a cranium saw and turning it on, testing it. He may need a new blade for this job. "It will take days, perhaps even years to find out what made this guy tick. This isn't a one-field job. Get some blood samples, okay? We need to see if there were any blood abnormalities. It's possible he had a thyroid problem or even suffered from malnutrition of some form."

'Though you could never tell it,' Dr. Argus thought, looking at the massive body. Still, amino acid deficiency made animals and people do weird things.

"Yes, Doctor Argus," the nurse replied, picking up some syringes from the counter. She collected blood samples.

"Preparing for cranial examination," Dr. Argus said to the nurse and into the recorder at the table. "Subject suffered from a maximum powered blast from a medium range laser to the skull. The shot entered at the forehead and exited the back of the skull, right above the top cervical vertebrae. Death was instant and quick. Over half the grey matter was lost, however what remains could prove valuable, and cranial examination is necessary to remove remaining brain matter."

Dr. Argus turned on the saw.

"That won't be necessary, Dr. Argus," Boreas stated, pushing open the metal doors.

"Boreas!" Dr. Argus and the nurse exclaimed.

Their leader was dirty, bedraggled, and tired looking. It was only his blue eyes that told them that this was their leader before them.

"You've been missing! What happened, sir?" Dr. Argus said, standing up straight. "Have you alerted the authorities? Taurus was going to send out guards to search for you at daybreak!"

"No, I haven't," Boreas stated. "How about you alert Taurus for me and tell him I'm okay."

"What?" Dr. Argus said. "I have an autopsy to perform."

"Don't worry about him," Boreas said. "You have the bodies of dead guards to worry about. Think of their families, not Achilles. Go tell Taurus I'm fine."

Dr. Argus nodded. "Yes, sir."

Dr. Argus quickly left, and Boreas turned to the nurse. "Both of you…"

The nurse quickly left, an expression of uncertainty on her face.

Boreas turned to the massive corpse before him. "Time to return home, Achilles."

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**Back at Achilles' Cabin, The Jungle:**

Artemis lay confided in the magical force field that Boreas had erected around her, being unable to move. She had wept for more than an hour, but now all she did was stare at the wall of her son's cabin aimlessly.

A few moments later, the door of the cabin creaked open. At first, she didn't look up, but then suddenly the force field was dispensed, and she was free.

She didn't need to look up to find out who it was, as there was only one who could have broken the spell… the one who had cast it in the first place.

"What now, Boreas?" she asked.

Boreas said nothing, and just looked at her with his large, plain blue, sad eyes.

"I'm surprised to see you to be truthful, Boreas," she said. "I would have thought you'd leave me here to rot for all of eternity… I know I would have done with you. Tartarus, I almost did."

Boreas still said nothing, and just beckoned her with his giant hand to come forward, out of the cabin.

Curious but willing, Artemis stood up and walked out of her deceased son's home.

As she stepped out of the cabin, she stopped… Down on the ground behind Boreas, she saw a large sheet covering an even larger shape that could only be her deceased son. Olive branches surrounded the body, two branches crisscrossing on Achilles' chest.

Artemis raised her head to look at her former lord.

"It didn't seem right to leave him in the hands of New Olympus's forensics," Boreas finally spoke. "He can do no more damage, and I thoroughly believe that anyone's remains should remain with their family. Achilles' biological relatives have expressed no desire to claim then, and they have no right to do so. So it's only right that they should be with you."

Artemis stayed quiet, and just stood where she was, staring at the large corpse that had once been her son.

Boreas touched her shoulder gently. "It's time to set his soul to rest, Artemis," he said in a tone softer than it had ever been. "His pain has come to an end."

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**New Olympus Medical Centre: **

Manty stayed sitting with Sphinx, if anything but to ensure that she would not attack any of the medical staff who attempted to check her wounds. Despite his assurances, Sphinx remained sceptical of all the other New Olympians.

"I understand how… unsettling this must be for you, Sphinx," he told her.

Sphinx snorted. "That would be an underestimate, Manty," she replied, as she took a glass of water from the table beside her bed. "The last time I was ever in the city, it was not under the best of conditions, to say the least."

Manty knew what she meant. After being a little curious about the Gargoyles, and finding little of real value in the public library, Cassy had told him quite some things. One of these the incident of ten years ago. For him it was no wonder that Sphinx had little love for the city, after having her leader killed before her eyes.

Manty nodded. "True, but please, despite your feelings toward a lot of our people, please remember that there are still many good people here, myself and Cassy included. There are a lot of good doctors and medical personnel here who only wish to help you and your clan, as they do with all the injured and sick. It is the reason why they all became involved in this practice."

Sphinx screwed up her lip, and was about to say something when…

"YOU BIG DUMBASS FOR BRAINS…!" Cyan's voice screamed out in the distance.

"Oh for… " Manty groaned. A couple of moments later, Cyc's large footsteps came stomping back, followed by the eager clip-clopping of Cyan's hooves, and they were definitely _not_ happy.

"Now what's wrong?" Manty said exasperated.

"Nothing!" Cyc said hurriedly, but Cyan was obviously not about to let him off that easily.

"Oh, nothing much," she said, glaring at her one-eyed friend above her. "Just that this hormones for brains Cyclops here decided to do a striptease right in the middle of the Hospital cafeteria!!!"

Sphinx spluttered out the water she had been drinking, while Manty's eyes widened, as they stared right at Cyc.

"Cyc…" he breathed out hoarsely. "Tell me you didn't!"

Cyc looked down at him sheepishly. "Wellllll… "

"What happened?!" Manty asked furiously.

Cyan continued glaring at her larger friend. "When we got to the Cafeteria, one of the young nurses recognized Cyc from his job at the River Styx! And of course, Cyc being Cyc, he immediately started pumping up his muscles, granting the girl a free feel of his arms… amongst other things. And then, some of the doctors began going off at the nurse for fraternizing with people during work hours. They called Cyc a distraction, and Cyc…!" Cyan visibly shuddered.

Manty dreaded what the rest of the story was going to be, but knew he had to ask. "What happened?" .

Cyc opened his mouth to speak, but received a hard kick in the ankle from Cyan, and bit his lip.

"Oh, nothing much…" she said sarcastically. "Cyc just told the doctor to go get his head from out of his ass, and get a life! And then he told him that if he didn't have such an old woman's figure, he wouldn't be so bitchy about all the other good-looking guys! And then Cyc began his striptease act, and suddenly tempers weren't the only things flying about the Cafeteria!"

Manty groaned, putting his head in his front-paws, wishing he had stayed in his bed now. "Cyc, Cyan…" he started. "I know you meant well coming here, but Cassy isn't going to be up till tomorrow, so please… Just leave."

"Oh but, Manty… " they began protesting.

"**Just** _leave_!" Manty added more forcefully, stopping them with his glare.

The two youngsters instantly shut up, and nervously backed away to the exit.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Cyan said hesitantly, waving goodbye.

Cyc looked about to say something, too, but the glare he got from both Manty and Cyan was enough to shut him up, and so he just followed his friend out the exit.

"Sphinx?" a voice spoke out suddenly from behind Manty.

Sphinx, who had been viewing the whole scenario with an amused look, turned and saw one of her warriors standing by with something in his possession.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't being treated like the others. But then again, his wounds were nowhere near as serious as the others.

"Forgive me, but I found this just before we left home," he said, handing something to his leader. "I believe it belongs to the Human girl."

Manty turned back to them, a large headache forming in his head, and saw what they were talking about. "That's a language translator," he told them, eyeing the device. "Strange… I didn't know Cassy had one of these." He took the device, examining it. "It's an old model, so she must have got it second-hand perhaps. She must be using it for some school project or something."

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At the same time, someone else was finding it difficult to sleep...

Taurus again tried to find sleep. After being woken up to be told that Boreas had re-appeared, something that at least took some pressure from his shoulders, sleep didn't want to come too quickly. But it was still some hours before this annoying cast would be taken off at morning. And actually, sleep didn't seem so good to him, considering that before he was woken up, his dreams were rather distressing.

He had seen his father telling him that had lost a part of himself now, and that he now knew the burden. He had seen blood ooze from the walls and then himself as a child, only to see his younger self vanish before his eyes, fading away as if to never return.

_'How fitting... That part of me has died. To never return...'_

Taurus tried to think of other things. How he would be hard pressed to replace all the men and woman he had lost in this crisis, how the security of the Gathering in two nights had to be organized, his own two cents when entering the stage, and the consequences that his words could have. But in the end, he always returned to his uneasy feeling.

Slowly, he felt himself drifting back to sleep.

Thankfully, Morpheus seemed to have mercy on Taurus, and so the sleep he found was dreamless.

**To Be Continued... **


	16. Chapter 16

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

_'We all have to make sacrifices...' Taurus replayed in his thoughts. 'How true...'_

_Loud howling came from the outside, announcing the arrival of the first ambulance hover vans. They had literally ordered every single ambulance vehicle in all of New Olympus to speed towards Mt. Thanatos in a Class-1 emergency, ignoring any kind of speed limit on the way._

_He would have to notify the hospital over the radio of the new situation._

_0000000000000000_

"_Destiny's couple," the Nymph agreed. "A freak for a freak. Oh well, guess some people are just meant to be alone. Come on, let's go see to Ward G." _

_As the two of them left the ward, they didn't notice the small tear crop up from one of Cassy's eyes and roll down her cheek, or the way she clenched her fist fiercely… _

_0000000000000000_

_Artemis stayed quiet, and just stood where she was, staring at the large corpse that had once been her son. _

_Boreas touched her shoulder gently. "It's time to set his soul to rest, Artemis," he said in a tone softer than it had ever been. "His pain has come to an end." _

_00000000000000000_

"_Yes, what is it?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't being treated like the others. But then again, his wounds were nowhere near as serious as the others. _

"_Forgive me, but I found this just before we left home," he said, handing something to his leader. "I believe it belongs to the Human girl." _

_Manty turned back to them, a large headache forming in his head, and saw what they were talking about. "That's a language translator," he told them, eyeing the device. "Strange… I didn't know Cassy had one of these." He took the device, examining it. "It's an old model, so she must have got it second-hand perhaps. She must be using it for some school project or something."_

_**-Fallout, Part I-**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**Fallout, Part II**

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**New Olympus Medical Centre; Late Evening/Early Morning: **

A few hours had past, and the sedative that Cassy had been given began to slowly wear off.

"Ohhhh," she moaned, still half-asleep.

"Still feeling groggy?" Manty's voice echoed around her.

"Mmm?" she murmured, seeing nothing, as her eyes refused to open.

"Never mind," Manty's voice assured her. "I shouldn't have woken you. You need your sleep. The other doctors said that you'd be fit to go home tomorrow morning. You just a goodnight's rest, that's all. I just wanted to return this thing to you… "

Despite the heavy weight of her eyelids, Cassy forced one of her eyes to open, trying to stare at whatever it was that Manty had brought her.

"One of the Gargoyles found it, and thought it might be yours," Manty said, holding out something that he placed on the table next to her bed. "I'll leave it here for you."

Cassy tried to focus, but her head was still swimming from all the sedative in her system. She could make out the outline of what looked like a laptop, a very big one, but her mind couldn't remember what it was or what it was for.

"Go back to sleep, child," Manty said, patting her hand with his large paw. "We'll talk more in the morning, when we go home. Just rest."

Cassy happily complied, her eyes hurriedly closing.

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**Jungle Land; Same Time:**

Boreas stood by and watched as Artemis placed her adopted son's body on the large pile of firewood gathered. It was fortunate that Boreas and Artemis were both such tall beings; otherwise the gathering of the wood would have taken normal sized persons hours to do so.

Neither of them had chosen to say anything about Artemis's fallen child, as was the usual custom, even among Olympians. Boreas hadn't said anything because he hadn't really known Achilles, and what he did know of him was not something that should be said at a funeral. Artemis on the other hand had probably remained silent because she was still too grieved to speak.

After placing Achilles' corpse on the pile, Boreas had waited for Artemis to give him the okay to do the next part. With a nod of her head, he then raised his hand, and a lightning bolt shot out and struck the pile of wood, bursting it into flames.

Artemis watched, as the flames grew and consumed her son's body. She wanted to break down and cry again, but she had cried so much in the past few hours that she doubted she had any tears left to do so. So she just watched the flames dance across the woodpile until their heat hurt her eyes.

"Do you remember those old age priests?" she suddenly asked her immortal kinsman. "The ones who used to travel all around Greece, spreading the word about how we Gods were part of the 'old way', and that we had no place in the modern world, such as it was back then?"

Boreas looked at her, wondering. "Yes?"

"They were more or less… " Artemis frowned slightly. "What is it that the Humans of today would call them…? Oh yes… _hippies_. That's what those old priests were back then, more or less. But they just happened to be right. They foresaw the end of our reign long before we did. " She continued staring at the fire. "Do you remember one of the things they used to say to the people, about why we were destined to end?"

Boreas scoffed a little. "Which one? They told so many."

Artemis sighed. "They said that to be a God, we had to know all that mortals go through everyday, to know pain and misery, joy and relief, love and loss… We were and still are immortal, so what could we possibly know about loss?" Artemis blinked a small tear back. "At the time, I didn't understand what they were saying, and didn't care, but now… "

Boreas knew that such a time usually called for someone to give the person who was grieving some comfort, but he knew that would be a mistake with Artemis. Her pride would not allow it. So he remained still, listening to her.

"Now I do," Artemis said, her lower lip trembling. "At the time, I had never had any children, nor ever raised any. I had raised temples and great cities dedicated to me and my power. Cults and religions devoted to serving me till the end of their days. I watched as civilizations came and went, and turn to dust, only for another to rise in its place. But never had I ever known the sweet joy in watching how a small child raised its head to me, its eyes full of nothing but unconditional love, and call me 'mother'."

Boreas shrugged. "Sometimes it's the simplest of things that elude us in life," he remarked. "Even to us immortals."

"I laughed at them," Artemis continued. "I laughed at their foolish preaches, about how we knew nothing about pain and loss. I actually thought that just made us all the more superior to them, that we knew nothing of petty mortal emotions. That we were immune to them… " She scoffed. "How ridiculously naïve and idiotic I was."

Boreas sighed. "Not even the most ancient and powerful of us is immune to simple emotions such as love and joy, and hatred and anger. We can learn to control them, maybe even suppress and push them down so far that we nearly forget they exist… but they're still there, apart of each and every one of us, Humans, Gargoyles and Fey alike."

"I've decided to leave, Boreas," Artemis suddenly said.

Boreas looked at her in surprise. "Where will you go?"

"Back to Avalon," she replied. "There really is no other place for me. The world has changed so much, even more so than it has here. And after spending over 2000 years here on this island, I don't think I can trust myself to live among Humans again."

"You do realize that will mean going home and having to… "

"Live under the rule of that immature, arrogant and pompous idiot, Oberon," Artemis finished for him. "Believe me, I am NOT looking forward to that, but what else can I do? I should have returned home long ago, Boreas. You're all right, as you have made a home for yourself here on New Olympus, and you have your subjects to take care of. What have I?"

"You could learn to adapt?" Boreas said simply.

Artemis shook her head. "I think that time has long since past for me, old friend," she took another long look at her burning son's body. The flames had grown so hot, because of them, that Achilles' corpse was now almost nothing but ash. "It's time for me to go home," she said finally, and then raised her own hand, sending out a large wave of wind, extinguishing the flames and scattering her son's ashes to the four winds.

Boreas nodded slowly. "You do realise that Oberon will make you grovel for forgiveness, just to return home?" he told her.

Artemis snorted. "He can try if he wishes, but there's only so much that I'll be willing to do to return to Avalon's shores."

"He is Avalon's rightful ruler, don't forget that, Artemis."

"Only by chance of birth," Artemis scoffed. "If any of the Third Race had had a say in who was to be their next king, you can rest assured that he would have been the very last name on their list!"

"Maybe so," Boreas noted. "But by chance or not, he is our king, and therefore deserves our respect… "

Artemis laughed out loud at that. "As I seem to recall," she said bemusedly. "On the day of his coronation, you yelled out, saying that he was nothing but a spoilt brat who shouldn't even be let out of his changing rags."

Boreas blushed. "The curse of youth," he finally said. "You were not the only one who was arrogant and self-centred in your early days, Artemis."

"Maybe, but you matured a lot faster than I," Artemis said with a hint of regret. "But never mind all that now… I have made my decision. Even if I do have to kneel down and kiss those shining boots of that cocky royal upstart… I'm still going home."

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**Medical Centre; Morning:**

Silence had fallen over the wing of the hospital, with the start of dawn. All of its unusual occupants were now sleeping, which had amazed a lot of the staff. Granted, they had read about it, but to see such a radical transformation first hand was something entirely different. It defied their medical logic, although it had to be a natural process. Only that it was so complex that it was next to impossible to understand.

There was some envy at their self-healing abilities, and some of the doctors were tempted to scan one or two of the sleeping Gargoyles, just to see what went on in them. But they didn't. They had promised not to do anything with the sleeping clan, and they couldn't simply break their word. But most of them needed sleep, too, after the stress of that night. So everything was peaceful.

Taurus looked at his jaw in the mirror. They had removed the cast some minutes ago, declaring that he was fit to be released now. They had done a nice job of repairing the fractures, and it also didn't hurt anymore. But the discoloration would take a little more time to fade away. They said it would disappear by itself, and told him that they were doctors, not beauty surgeons.

Taurus didn't complain. He never complained about such things. And he couldn't get out of there soon enough.

Walking down the corridor to the exit, he was surprised to see Boreas waiting for him in the main hall near the reception desk. The description of him looking as if he had walked through a mudslide either must have been wrong, or he had changed, since he didn't look any different than usual. However, he looked tired, obviously needing some sleep.

"Boreas?" Taurus greeted him.

Boreas had no problem to see Taurus' downcast mood. After reading through the report of the battle (he couldn't sleep after everything that had happened, and tried to keep himself busy), he knew why. To take a life, regardless if it had to be done or not, was always something horrible.

"I know what happened... How do you feel?" he asked Taurus carefully, after they had walked to a secluded area of the main hall.

That was exactly what he had tried to avoid even thinking about! But he couldn't lie to Boreas. It was mysterious how Boreas did it, but everyone who had to deal with him found it hard to directly lie to him. And… Boreas might be their head of state, but he was different from most politicians, so much so that he actually wasn't "somewhere up there", but also cared for single individuals.

Taurus decided to be honest with him. "I feel lousy. I had sworn to never kill. And now… I've broken that promise. I knew that it could come with my line of work...but I hoped, I prayed that I would never have to resort to lethal force."

"You know that trying to simply bury it won't help you. It will only grow until it comes back with a vengeance..." Boreas knew from his own bitter history with Artemis that this was true. He had pushed away the issue, until it came back to haunt him big time.

"And what do you propose I should do? Forgetting it seems like the best way for me." Taurus knew that Boreas was right, but he had no idea how to deal with it.

"I don't have a magic wand that can simply zap away this burden... But my advice is that you find someone whom you can confide with, and speak with about it. And I mean someone other than me..." Boreas gave him his advice.

_'Who can I tell this to? The ones I could, also have burdens of their own right now...' _"I will think about it..." Taurus half-heartedly agreed.

"I hope so...and frankly, I don't dare let you return to duty like this. No discussion, you have the day off. Try to find your centre," Boreas told him, under no terms. A mentally burdened chief of security was something they had no use for, not especially since the Gathering was not far off. "And after this crisis, most of the work is organization, so your constables can do that as well."

"Yes, Boreas..." and added mentally. 'So much for trying to bury it under a pile of work.' Admitting defeat, Taurus wanted to go to the exit.

"Better use the back exit, as there are a lot of information gatherers outside," Boreas warned him. He had seen them on his way in, and while they were really annoying, they had their place in their society. But Taurus wasn't fit to deal with them right now.

_'At least I'm spared from that...' _That was at least a little comfort. He had no desire to get confronted with a bunch of nosy people.

Going to the back exit, he decided that he would walk the way home. Since the vultures were all at one place, it meant he would be left alone on his way.

At the same time, Manty and Cassy were getting ready to leave as well.

They had given her a clean bill of health, and there were no after-effects of the shock, but Manty noticed that she was quieter than usual, but that was no wonder. No one should see such violence when still this young. He knew it would take her some time to completely get over it. But now that this nightmare was over, he was in good spirits that she would be left in peace. Manty himself had been declared fit to leave as well, but told to take it easy for two more days, meaning that he would have much time on his hands for the time being. Actually, both of them were glad that finally they would have some peace. The last few weeks had really eaten at their substance.

Walking down the corridor, they were surprised to hear two familiar voices from around the corner.

"That's not funny, you know it!"

"On the contrary, _finally_ a female that not only managed to resist your charms without even blinking an eye, but actually totally ignored you."

"That doesn't count! How should I have known she turns into a statue?!"

"Your loss. I got a lot of fun out of when you tried for 5 minutes to impress and charm her, before you saw that she was stone."

_'I really wonder how he managed to get in again. After that scene, I would have thought the staff would forbid him to even come close to the hospital...' _But on the other hand, Manty guessed that no one really wanted to stop a determined Cyclops. At least Cassy's other friend would keep him mostly in line.

When they came around the corner, one look made clear that Cyan was in best spirits, seemingly just recovered from a fit of laughter, while Cyc was sulking. It seemed trying to charm a female Gargoyle while she was in stone-sleep wouldn't end up on his record with females.

Noticing their friend, they rushed to her, greeting her warmly. It was good to have such loyal friends, but Cassy couldn't help but wonder. "It's so thoughtful that you came here, but isn't today a school day?"

"Umm...well, you see..." It was uncharacteristic for Cyc to hesitate.

Cyan rolled her eyes. "What Cyc can't spell out is that we...well...sort of skipped school today, to see you."

"You children aren't realizing that you only put obstacles in your way by skipping school," Manty scolded them. While it spoke of their friendship with Cassy, they shouldn't have done that.

"Ah, come on, its only this one time. And today would be mostly about this stupid book as a topic... Some history thing, I don't remember..." Cyc waved it off.

"You know that Mrs. Neptune will put you through the meat grinder for that. Remember what she did when she caught someone cheating during a test," Cassy warned them, remembering that incident too well.

Both her friends remembered it too well. The poor sap had been desperate enough to get some of the answers by looking to his neighbour's test, and got caught. Not only had Mrs. Neptune declared in front of the entire class that he thus automatically failed the test, but also dragged him to the principal after the test was over, and put triple the workload on him for a month. In her words: "To make up for what is subtracted from his grade." That was one of the times that Cassy was glad that she stayed well below her radar most of the time, although it did remind Cassy also that she had to make up for all she had missed, and she inwardly groaned, imagining the workload ahead of her.

"You know how to kill a mood..." Cyan hoped they wouldn't get punished too harshly, but she didn't even want to imagine the school notifying her parents of it. She could guess how that would play out. For all she knew, Cyc's father would simply shrug and ignore the matter. "But our certain doom aside... How are you holding up?"

"Oh great. I only got a front seat when seeing someone's head getting blown apart five meters away from me. I feel like throwing up my innards, but otherwise I'm alright," she said in bitter sarcasm, meaning that she didn't actually want to talk about it.

They hadn't been told how bloody it had really been, so this came as a nasty surprise. And something they could only imagine with difficulties, since such violence was very seldom. "Ah...shit, we didn't know..." Cyc tried to apologize.

Cassy held up her hands, now regretting her words. She hadn't meant it to sound that harsh. "No… sorry I said that. It's just that I need some time to deal with it. He's dead now, and I have had enough from everything. I just want to be plain Cassy, teenage girl starting to grow up... For now, I only want to go home."

"Can we tag along?" Cyan asked carefully.

"Sure, I really could use someone to talk with, as long as you stay away from _that _topic, okay?"

"Yeah, but we better take a different exit... Those damn vultures are waiting outside... Too nosy for my taste." It was seldom to see Cyc disliking someone, and Cassy had no idea how it had started, but he had something against information-gatherers, at least a certain type.

Cassy actually had her own experience with these nosy people. As the only human on the island, she had been their centre of interest several times over the years. And she could have sworn, one time when Manty had caught one making a picture of her, he had almost forced that Nymph to eat the camera.

"What was that about with Cyc and a Gargoyle?" Cassy whispered to Cyan, while Manty led them to a side exit.

"Our boy wonder has taken a liking to their leader, Sphinx, but only caused chaos at night. I thought she made her feelings clear that she wasn't interested at all... But nooo! Our Casanova thought he should try again while we were here! Gods...all of the staff had a good laugh when after a few minutes, he finally found out why she didn't react at all to his _charms_… Mainly because she had turned to stone!" Her big smile underlined how immensely funny she had found that situation, how Cyc had been oblivious to the obvious.

"Sometimes they fall hard..." Cassy only commented. Besides, after all Sphinx had told her, there was simply no chemistry between New Olympians and Gargoyles, making Sphinx also immune to any of Cyc's attempts, when she was awake. And knowing Cyc, he definitely would make a few more attempts. He would see Sphinx as a challenge, and his ego didn't allow him to back off until he got a _real_ dismissal.

But she would keep all that to herself for now. He was her friend, but he really had to learn that he couldn't have everything. Cassy only pitied Sphinx, who would have to endure Cyc's flirting attempts from now on.

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**Taurus' Apartment:**

It had been peaceful on the way to his apartment, with no one stopping him, despite his discoloured jaw looking like a sign that something unusual had happened. Yet the uneasy feeling hadn't left him, looming like a dark cloud over his head. Walking up the stairs, he unlocked the door. Walking in, he heard that his screen was on, just relaying the weather prognosis.

_'Strange, I never turn that thing on. Has Calypso been in my place again...?'_

Walking into the living room, he saw that his guess was correct, Calypso was sitting in a seat in front of the screen. But it seemed that she had become so bored that she had fallen asleep, her head resting on her arm. Taurus wondered why she had fallen asleep in his living room, wearing her usual outfit.

Taurus didn't really want to wake her up. She looked so peaceful while sleeping, and it looked, well, quite cute. But on the other hand, he also saw that drool escaped her mouth in the current position of her head, running down her arm. Judging by this sight, this had already gone on for some time.

"Mhhh...oh, you are _so_ good..."

Taurus needed a second before realising that she was still asleep, talking in her sleep. Now he wanted to wake her up. He had no desire to hear her secret fantasies, they were hers alone, and none of his business.

Before he could do so, she spoke again, letting off a quiet moan. "Ohh...Taurus..."

His eyes went wide. '_What in all names is she dreaming about that involves me?'... _

On second thought, he didn't really want to know. Shaking her gently by her shoulder, he roused her out of sleep.

"What? Where?" Calypso was disoriented when she woke up. She had just had such a good dream. Taurus was there, together with her, and it was a beautiful day... Trying to concentrate on her surroundings, she noticed Taurus standing beside her. "Oh...ah... Taurus. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

"No, I'm not angry. I'm only surprised to find you here," Taurus said, hoping that she could explain.

"Ummm...that's a little embarrassing. I was already tired from my work, when your fish complained about being hungry. I fed him, thought I could catch up with some news on your screen...Well, I guess I fell asleep during that," Calypso admitted with a very faint blush colouring her cheeks a little dark blue. Looking to the window, she saw that it was day. "I've slept through the entire night?"

"Looks like it." Taurus wondered what her job actually was. He knew she had some odd hours, had fun with her work, and did not work every day, yet she did seem to make a good income. She had never spoken about it. Taurus' point was underlined by a loud protest from Calypso's stomach.

"Ooops...Looks like I have to..." She stopped when she finally got a closer look at Taurus and saw his discoloured jaw. "Oh dear! You're hurt!"

"No...that will fade away, the injury was already healed. They said they saw no need to remove that, since it would go away on its own," Taurus tried to reassure her that he was all right.

Calypso however still looked concerned. She also felt that Taurus' mood was down in the cellar. "What happened? You look so sad. Has something horrible happened...?"

Taurus knew she had no clue, since she had slept through the night, so he relayed the events of last night to her as compressed as possible. His description was however still detailed enough to make Calypso look quite frightened. This recount of violence really scared her. Taurus finished his tale and had to sit down. Telling her that he had been forced to kill Achilles, as a last resort, which had been difficult.

Calypso really felt that Taurus' recount was already scary enough. She could hardly imagine such bloody violence, and seeing him now so burnt out started to make her sad as well. She felt he should need someone to comfort him, a shoulder he could lie on. However, she knew enough about him to know that he would be too proud to accept her help if she directly offered. But she really wanted to help him get off some of the weight on his shoulders, without him trying to find a way to weasel away to avoid her. Her nose caught the strong smell from him, and she had an idea.

_'All right...you can't run away once there. I only want to help you...' _Calypso knew that it would be a little awkward, especially after her imagination had been more active in the last few days, but she knew she could control herself. At least she hoped so.

"That's horrible!...I'm so sorry for you," she tried to console him.

"Thanks, but right now I still try to come to terms with it..." Taurus didn't really want to burden Calypso with it. He already felt guilty that he had ruined her otherwise always good mood. He guessed that she was much more emotionally mature than she let on, after all she was a grown up female, but she seemingly had held some of the enthusiasm of youth.

He really wanted to deal with it himself. "Sorry if I ruined your mood."

"Ah, rubbish! You aren't at fault for anything. But I don't really want to press on it, if you are uncomfortable... You know what, since you also look quite hungry, I will make breakfast for both of us. There is no sense to start the day with an empty stomach," she offered.

"I don't really want to impose on you..." He had long since got used to her occasionally changing the topic out of the blue, so he didn't think anything of it.

"It is no problem." Seeing Taurus give in, she decided to add, after two audible sniffs, "And no offence, Taurus, but you smell terrible."

He hadn't noticed it himself yet, but now that he had been made aware of it, he knew she was right. After having your last bath quite some time ago, getting into a battle, and sleeping with his clothes on in a bed, it was no wonder he smelled. They had only cleaned his jaw in the hospital, before setting it, but not anything else. "I had no time to clean myself..."

"Well, we can remedy that! After we have eaten, we can go to the bathhouse. I think that the day should always start with a relaxing rinse," she told him with a slight smile.

Taurus hoped that he could get her off that idea with some excuse. After what happened last time he had encountered her in the baths, which she thankfully hadn't noticed, he didn't want to tempt fate. Just alone thinking of it was conjuring up these pictures, as if there wasn't already enough on his mind.

He really had to somehow tell her that he had to decline her offer.

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**Manty's Apartment:**

"I'm going to go clean up," Cassy softly told Manty.

"Okay then," Manty responded. "I'll make something to eat. Would you like anything? Water, juice, some tea before you head up?"

"No thanks, I'll be fine," Cassy responded. "I'm just gonna clean up."

"You want to go to the bath house?" Manty asked her.

"Uh…no…I'll be fine here, at home," Cassy softly answered. "I'm just going to clean up a bit.

"All right then, take your time," Manty responded and headed towards the kitchen.

He'll make her something fancy…something involving work and effort; perhaps throw in a few of her favourite vegetables. He was not going to tell her. It was just going a pleasant little surprise when she comes to the table. Planning it out was keeping his mind off other things.

Manty went through the pantry and began to pull out ingredients and appliances.

As Manty cooked, he went through the manoeuvres of speaking to Cassy when she decided to appear. What was he going to say to her first? How would she respond to that? What would he say if she said something? He'd start the conversation then rewind, trying to find the perfect words and work out every possible scenario.

What could he do for his daughter?

Dear Gods! All he wanted to do was swoop her up and take her someplace far, far away. The fatherly side of him did not want her here in New Olympus. He just wanted to carry her off until it hurt no more, until they-everyone-remembered nothing. He wanted to start life out anew.

As he chopped frozen vegetables, he listened to the running of water. It stopped, and he heard her footsteps heading towards her bedroom.

All he could do now was distract himself with cooking. He had to keep himself busy-all of himself. As he thought of what to do, he sautéed vegetables and started a sauce, he listened to Cassy's movements, and he stumbled around the kitchen.

He set the table. He looked down at his reflection in Cassy's plate. The kitchen was heavy with the smell of food.

He wanted something so much better for her than this.

Meanwhile, Cassy had carried in the Language Translator that Manty had given her last night. She still couldn't stop sighing in relief that Manty hadn't bothered to check it, and discover the reading material inside.

She stashed the translator inside her cupboard, and then stepped back, eyeing the cupboard thoughtfully. Part of her wanted to keep the dratted thing inside forever, or at least until she found a way to return it to Cyc's house without him discovering her theft.

Then there was another part of her... the part that remembered the stinging words of the orderlies last night that has spoken so hurtfully of her and her ordeal. That part at the moment was the strongest, and which made her the most angry.

She continued staring at the cupboard for a few minutes, until she heard Manty's voice calling her out to get her snack.

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**City Baths, 10:23AM:**

_'I wonder how she managed to do that?' _Taurus still wondered, while he walked into the bathhouse, following Calypso. He had tried numerous times telling her that he would go later that day, but she had only told him with a smile that there was nothing embarrassing about it, and that he shouldn't walk around stinking. Her sheer innocence stopped him from actually going against her. He simply couldn't bring himself to disappoint her. And so now here he was.

Looking around, he at least saw that today the big rush had already passed, and there were only a few people. And the section of the adult baths they walked in was totally deserted. At least there was no one else, although that was a two-edged sword. While there was no one to witness possible accidents, there was also no crowd to vanish into. It was ridiculous as, like all people, visiting the baths was normal for him, so why did he suddenly think he would be the centre of attention, should something happen?

_'Don't let this get to you...' _he replayed in his mind several times. It was really bizarre, as never before had an undressed female caused any reaction in him when visiting the baths. The only time when he did show a reaction was of course when someone else bathed him, particularly in his undersection, but that was a natural body response, nothing more.

Of course he knew all of the jokes and sayings about him, that he was married to his work, or that he was lacking pheromones... and others who just said that he was a homosexual. But the truth was he had just never really looked at any of the females, or anyone else, in the baths. He had just bathed himself and then left, that was it.

It was known in the force that Chief Taurus was the ultimate loner.

That Calypso was having such an effect on him disturbed him greatly. He had no idea how to deal with it. But at least having his mind on this pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside for a while, partly.

"You know, I really want to meet your friend, now that she finally has nothing to fear anymore," Calypso chatted, while they started to disrobe.

"Maybe I can bring you together today. She could use something else to put her mind on right now, and I have the day off. I'm sure she will like you." All the time, Taurus tried to look away, but he knew that it was useless, because sooner or later there would be no way around it.

He hadn't brought along his washing utensils, and after disrobing, was looking for some of the public ones, when he heard Calypso speaking with one of the staff. "Both of ours are smelling. Please put them through the cleaner, I'll pay for the extra service."

Taurus felt like groaning. Calypso had given their clothes to the built-in cleaning facility, which meant it would take at least half an hour before they were returned. Finally, he had found what he had been looking for and turned around, only to see her looking through the bucket with her own utensils, giving him a premium view of her butt.

He took a deep breath and tried to think of something else, especially when she had found what she had been looking for, and now walked to him, showing all of herself in the process, but since this was normal in the baths, she mostly thought nothing of it, however she had to keep some of her fantasies at bay.

_'Girl, you can do this...' _Calypso felt stupid. She had gone to the baths her entire life, it was something normal. So why now all of a sudden did she feel a little jumpy?

_'I must be getting old...' _Taurus wondered why the hell this candid display of her total nudity did this to him, while he normally felt nothing like that.

Taurus emptied a big bucket of cold water over himself (as cold as possible, because he really needed it) and already wanted to work on himself, when Calypso stopped him. "It's only fair that I do this for you. And it would hard for you to reach some places."

Taurus knew that this was the most stupid thing he could do, but nodded his agreement. So she slowly started to work on him, being very thorough in this task. He didn't know that she herself forced herself to concentrate on the real reason why she was here with him. "You know, I always wondered why you went into the force in the first place."

Taurus was glad that she wanted to talk, since it distracted him. "Basically to follow my father's hoofsteps, as I always looked up to him. So it was only logical to enter the force... I also had been a little naive in my choice, but I realised that only when it was too late."

"How could you have been naive?" Calypso wondered.

Taurus sighed. "I thought it was a job like anything else, only that I protect the people and make them feel safe... I didn't realise that it meant to be in real danger on occasion, to be forced into hard decisions. I was shown the hard way."

Calypso knew what he hinted at, as it was common knowledge. "Your father's death showed you how dangerous it really is?"

"Yes..." Taurus remembered how this had opened up his eyes. He had actually led the reinforcements to the beach, only to see Proteus throwing his father's body at them. "When I was offered to take over his position, I knew the risk... But I accepted, as I couldn't back off and desert everyone. And I wanted to do everything so that no one would ever again be the victim of violence."

"This last week must have been hard on you," Calypso told him in sympathy. All the body count Achilles had amassed in less than a week was spectacular for New Olympian conditions. "So much death..."

Taurus had never thought that besides her always-cheerful appearance, Calypso could be so serious and yet compassionate. "Not only that... You must know that I also meant that never ever would I use lethal force, never take a life. And now that I have, I feel terrible..." He felt his depression return full force.

Now Calypso understood. Holding his hands, she looked him into his eyes. "You said that he was about to kill your friend. You had no choice."

"I know that... But I still feel as if I dishonoured my most serious oath...I feel so horrible." Taurus wasn't known to express his emotions openly, but right now all the pain came to the surface.

"Shhhh... I know it is horrible... But he made his choice, and you saved your friend... Don't let it eat you up," she consoled him, holding him while he took deep breaths, his eyes closed.

Taurus had to admit that it felt good to hear this from her. It was calming, and while the emotional pain was still there, it wasn't as strong as before. After some minutes they finally separated, also becoming aware what this could look like. "Thank you... But I always thought..:"

"That I'm an oblivious airhead who's happy all the time?" Calypso's slight smirk told him that she had expected this. "I'm not angry that you thought that. I love to be happy. I have preserved quite a chunk of my childish innocence, but I'm quite aware of reality."

Taurus found new respect for her. And he must have been quite inobservant to oversee that she was more than just one-dimensional in her character. "I wouldn't have put it this way. Still, thanks, you've helped me a lot.." Then he saw her returning to the task at hand. "Uhh.. eh?"

Calypso noticed why he was hesitant when she started at the one area left to scrub. He was obviously _very _excited to see her, and she saw it as a compliment that she aroused him, but she at first failed to see why it seemed to embarrass him. Given that at least a third, or more likely half of the males got obviously excited in the baths, which was a very natural reaction and thus had become something normal. Still, it was strange. Until she remembered that this was Taurus, the Minotaur married to his work, and no eye for females.

She caught herself looking a little longer than needed. '_Pull yourself together!' _She finally finished the task, being careful so that he grunted only a few times. She watched him rinse off, while soaking herself with a bucket of warm water. "Good, now it's my turn." Taurus seemed to hesitate. "Look...why should I be different from anyone else you scrubbed?"

Taurus sighed. "Because you are the first to actually excite me..." he admitted. For him, who saw naked females almost daily in the baths, this was something new. Actually, the puzzling behaviour of Cassy in the baths, the few times he had met her, now made a little more sense to him, as he felt like a deer in the headlights.

Calypso's face actually coloured a little, and she put on a reassuring smile. "All right, we know accidents could happen. Just do it, all right?" That was the first time she had seen someone hesitate so much at a task that was considered trivial.

Finally, Taurus overcame his hesitation, but Calypso felt that he was still careful. '_Poor guy...It must be really awkward for him that such an everyday activity suddenly becomes so difficult for him...' _She had to admit, him scrubbing her felt nice, and some quiet moans escaped her. '_Gods...I forgot how sensitive I am to touch...' _she remembered, although her fantasies were also a great part responsible for her reaction.

Finally, Taurus was done, although he really had to pull himself together several times, rinsing her with warm water. They both then looked at each other, saw that they were both now quite riled up, and made a silent agreement, before retreating each to a corner at the respective far ends of the room for some privacy.

Some minutes and having taken care of the pent up arousal later, both sat on a bench, having dried themselves, now talking while they waited for their clothes to be returned. "You planned all this to make sure I would talk with you about it, right?"

Calypso couldn't suppress a light smile. "I really wanted to help you. You were so sad and I didn't want to see you so depressed. I wanted you being unable to bail out. And you really seem better now."

"Don't get me wrong, it is still there, but muted now. It still burdens me, but not as much as before. I had no idea that talking about it could help so much. I must apologise for everything I thought about you before today. You are a very bright naiad maiden, Calypso."

"Uhhh... thanks." The blueness of Calypso's face became several shades darker while hearing these nice words, which looked really cute. "And I would have never thought that an ordinary bath could be this awkward."

Taurus could only agree to that. "Since when are you dreaming about me?" he asked her. After all this, he felt he could ask her.

"Oops, you heard that?...Needless to say I have some fantasies... I really started to like you after a while, but you seemed so...distant. Did you know there is gossip regarding a possible secret mistress of yours?" Seeing his shocked face, she hastily added, "Not that I believe any of it... And we are both rather poor in regards of a love life... Friends for the time being?"

Taurus had to admit it to himself, now that she had shown him this deeper side of hers, he found her quite intriguing. But he also knew that they both didn't want to hastily stumble into something they could possibly regret. "Friends. If there is something to be between us, it will need its natural time to develop. And if it is not to be, we will still be friends."

"You know, I can't wait to meet your other friend. It's a little strange that in four years I haven't seen her once..."

Taurus added to her intriguing personality that she seemingly switched between her deeper side, and her shallow, ever-happy outer appearance. Truth be told, it was downright fascinating. But he had no idea at all what would happen now.

**To Be Continued...**


	17. Chapter 17

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

_**Previously:**_

"_I've decided to leave, Boreas," Artemis suddenly said. _

_Boreas looked at her in surprise. "Where will you go?" _

"_Back to Avalon," she replied. "There really is no other place for me. The world has changed so much, even more so than it has here. And after spending over 2000 years here on this island, I don't think I can trust myself to live among Humans again." _

_00000000000000_

_"Sometimes they fall hard..." Cassy only commented. Besides, after all Sphinx had told her, there was simply no chemistry between New Olympians and Gargoyles, making Sphinx also immune to any of Cyc's attempts, when she was awake. And knowing Cyc, he definitely would make a few more attempts. He would see Sphinx as a challenge, and his ego didn't allow him to back off until he got a real dismissal._

_00000000000000_

_Calypso couldn't suppress a light smile. "I really wanted to help you. You were so sad and I didn't want to see you so depressed. I wanted you being unable to bail out. And you really seem better now."_

_"Don't get me wrong, it is still there, but muted now. It still burdens me, but not as much as before. I had no idea that talking about it could help so much. I must apologize for everything I thought about you before today. You are a very bright naiad maiden, Calypso."_

_"Uh...thanks." The blueness of Calypso's face became several shades darker while hearing these nice words, which looked really cute. _

_000000000000000_

_Taurus had to admit it to himself, now that she had shown him this deeper side of hers, he found her quite intriguing. But he also knew that they both didn't want to hastily stumble into something they could possibly regret. "Friends. If there is something to be between us, it will need its natural time to develop. And if it is not to be, we will still be friends."_

_**-Fallout, Part II-**_

_**To Adapt is to Survive**_

**Fallout, Part III**

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**Shores of Avalon:**

The mists that surrounded Avalon slowly pulled away like massive curtains. Instead of being struck by a feeling of alienation, Artemis found a feeling of welcomeness melting through her body.

It struck her as an odd feeling...like a heavy blanket wrapped around her.

'_Home...' _she immediately thought.

She caught herself smiling, and shook her head, erasing it. For that one moment, New Olympus was nothing more than a strange memory, an alien world she was exiled to.

Inside her she found herself contemplating...New Olympus had been her home for hundreds, thousands of years...she fought to keep it like that. She fought to keep it safe, away from those damned humans. She fought so hard to keep it safe, to keep the jungle rich with plants and animals, to keep its shores protected, and its denizens safe. Years upon years she had spent her life like that.

How could all those feelings and efforts become so alien in just a mere moment upon setting eyes on the shores she had not seen since she was fresh to the world?

When she touched down onto the mossy shore, her memories, of millennia ago, running through the oak forests became fresh, and the memories of New Olympus became nothing more than ghosts.

00000000000000000000

**New Olympus Medical Centre; Dusk:**

"So what's a gorgeous hot winged momma like you doing in a place like this?!" Cyc boomed, flashing what he thought was his winning smile, while flexing every muscle he could find on his body.

Sphinx spared him a glance, but inside was growling very fiercely. Didn't this guy know how to take a hint?

"I'm just waiting for some of my clanmates to be discharged from this medical centre. After that we are due to go home and prepare for the Gathering, which is supposed to take place some time tomorrow." She replied politely.

"Really? Hey! Maybe we could go together," Cyc said, grinning. "I can give you a really good seat, right on top of my shoulders... or anywhere else you fancy?" He growled playfully at her.

Sphinx snarled, her eyes flaring dangerously red at him. "Look, why don't you...!"

"Sphinx!" Taurus' loud, and unbelievably welcome, voice shouted at her. "Forgive the interruption, but the doctors informed me to tell you that your clanmates are fine to go home now."

Never had a female Gargoyle looked so relieved before. "Thank you," she replied, hastening around him, heading toward to the ward as fast she could.

"Oh, but..." Cyc began, but was stopped by a tap on his leg by Taurus.

"Trust me, kid," New Olympus' security chief told him. "You do NOT want the hassle." He hurried off after Sphinx.

Cyc watched him go for a few moments, before shrugging and saying "I thought she was just beginning to thaw."

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**15 Minutes Later:**

"You really didn't need to have come personally to clear that with me," Sphinx said to Taurus, while they together with some of remaining clan members rode up the elevator to the roof. They had just cleared the last details for next night.

"I know, but I think that's important enough to warrant me doing that in person." And truth to be told, he felt better now that this was done, so that things wouldn't go awry next night, if that mess of rumours circulating about the clan right now was a indicator.

"Good thing that we can evade curios eyes with our wings." Sphinx was relieved that she hadn't to put up with these people. At least not this night. "We will arrive as agreed next night."

Right then, the elevator arrived at the roof, and the doors opened.

"All right, then we can expect you next night at..." Taurus stopped, when he saw someone standing on the roof. At first he only saw a female Gargoyle. But looking closer, recognition dawned.

"What in all names?!" Taurus thought he was hallucinating. That looked like Elisa Maza, only that she was a Gargoyle.

_'Damn, he clearly recognised me!' _"Hi!...Bye!" Without any further word, the female jumped off the railing, gliding away.

Taurus was still confused what had happened, but Sphinx reacted fast, jumping off the roof, following this strange female. She wasn't one of her clan, and she had to find out who she was. But seeing her try to avoid her, she had to admit that female was quite the glider. The chase led them practically through the entire city.

But finally it seemed the strange female had enough of this game, landing on a roof, waiting for her. '_I wonder what in all names this is about? She clearly isn't from here, so much is obvious,' _Sphinx wondered, while landing, prepared for all kind of reactions.

"I knew I couldn't shake you off, but I had no desire for a confrontation with Taurus," the female told Sphinx as soon as she had landed.

Sphinx could actually understand part of this, she also hadn't a desire to get tangled up with the security forces. But then it made her wonder that while this female obviously was from the outside, she seemed to know Taurus. Still... "Granted, but you are still not one of my clan, so you have to come from the outside. Better explain to me how you managed to get in."

"You have no idea... Would you believe I come from another world?" Elisa asked Sphinx.

_'Huh...?' _Sphinx felt that this could take a little longer... "Better explain from the beginning."

Elisa knew that meant the whole explanation. "Good. Imagine that for each choice made different, another universe exists. Worlds were for example Gargoyles are the dominant species on Earth. The universe, this as any other, is part of a multiverse. Can you follow me?"

"More or less..." Sphinx needed a little to actually grasp that idea.

"Then let me tell you that this isn't my universe," Elisa explained to her. "Back in my home universe, there had been a sort of...accident, resulting in me being forced to travel through different universes. The me of this universe is somewhere out there, I'm not her. Actually I only have to wait until the door opens for me to leave again. I've already visited some quite different worlds, but I really only want to finally get home."

Sphinx stayed quiet after hearing that.

Elisa felt a little tired. Telling the whole story the umpteenth time was getting old by now. At least it seemed that Sphinx believed her. "I know it sounds far-fetched, but it's the truth..." Elisa added after being done.

Sphinx knew, that it really was a little too fantastic to believe. But then again, no one actually would make up such a story, since it was too unbelievable. "I actually believe you despite my doubts, since no one would construct such a story... But you react as if you know me..." That had made Sphinx wonder, there was clearly recognition in this Elisa's eyes.

"Would you believe me that your clan had left New Olympus in my world, and you became a part of my clan?" Elisa asked her.

Sphinx wanted to answer, but then thought about it. Leaving the island was rather radical, Gargoyles were rooted into their home territories. But then, if the clan of that world was as desperate as they are... She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the whole multiverse-stuff.

Then she remembered something. "Ehm...what about...?"

Elisa could guess what Sphinx wanted to ask her. "You mean if you found someone?... Yep, in my world you got quite the catch, although you were quite shy about it. But I better not tell you too much... Guess here you still haven't made a decision?"

"No...And even if we did, I doubt we would be let go. Don't get me wrong...we ARE desperate. And we DO know we can't go on like this any longer..." Sphinx sighed. "But we are basically trapped on this island unless a miracle happens that breaks up the isolationism dogma..."

Elisa felt sorry for this Sphinx. It seemed that things were different enough in this world that the islanders would never allow the clan to go. But her thoughts were cut short, when the spotlight of a hoverbike spotted them. Looking up, she saw Taurus riding the bike hovering over them.

"All right, now stay where you are..." Taurus now knew he hadn't been wrong. It wasn't an illusion, that was a Gargoyle looking like Elisa. He had no idea what was going on, but this female's appearance had put his mind on high alert.

Thankfully Elisa was spared from giving an explanation, when a blue glowing rift opened up behind herself. "Sorry Taurus," she called, "but I think I will better take my leave now!" That said, she left through the rift.

Taurus watched this strange, blue-glowing rift disappear, then looked to Sphinx, a little stunned. "All right, better tell me what in Hades' name is going on..."

Sphinx herself hadn't fully understood everything, so she felt that would be a rather long explanation. Why couldn't she get a break? A psycho attacking their home to get the girl they guarded, a stay in the hospital, the gathering next night...

_'Guess a leader's job is never done...' _she thought, while watching Taurus landing on the roof.

"Well, what was that?" Taurus asked, after getting off his bike.

"Do you believe in something called a multiverse?" Sphinx asked him, but only got a confused look in return. And Sphinx had an idea how must have looked like earlier.

Sphinx knew this meant that she had to recount everything. _'Looks like this will take a little longer...'_

00000000000000000000

**Taurus' Apartment, A Little Later:**

"...and that was what Sphinx told me. I don't know if I should believe her or not. Boreas had said that I shouldn't worry about it. He said something among the lines that he 'knew' that it was harmless," Taurus told Calypso.

Taurus had a real problem to believe Sphinx the whole multiverse stuff, although seeing this strange Gargoyle-Elisa walk through something that looked as if it had sprung out of a sci-fi novel at least meant that _something_ strange had happened. And Boreas, who he had reported this incident, hadn't blinked an eye, as if Boreas knew something that he didn't. Returning home he had seen that Calypso was still up, and he really wanted to tell her of this strange incident. Hell, he needed to tell someone just to get this weirdness off his chest.

Calypso held her glass of juice in both hands while processing all these words. Having listened to this strange tale, she felt that her life was actually boring if she always missed exciting stuff like this. "Taurus, have you ever wondered that you could be a weirdness magnet? The exciting and strange events with you present seem to add up."

"I could live without them. I prefer it to be quiet and boring, since it makes my job easier. So what do you make of this... incident?" Taurus asked her.

"If you ask me, something weird did happen. But since she has left again, I think you should simply forget the whole thing. You have enough on your desk already," Calypso told him, taking a sip of juice.

"Ah yes, next night..." Taurus mused, deciding that Calypso didn't really need to know the truth.

Taurus knew that he actually wouldn't have much to do job-wise, since his constables had done most of the organisational work for the security at the gathering already. He just had to nod off some details before attending to the gathering himself, since he would be one of the important speakers.

"I'm not really made for speaking to crowds. I can be glad if I don't screw up my text," he openly admitted to her.

"Oh, Chief Taurus has stage jitters?" Calypso giggled. The idea of Taurus being so nervous that he would forget what to say was amusing.

Taurus again found it interesting how Calypso, who he by now knew was mentally and emotionally very mature, could act so innocently girlish. "What about you? Will you attend?" he asked her.

"You bet. That's a chance you don't get often. That, and after you told me your friend will be there, I think it also will be good to finally meet her. Honestly, normally politics don't interest me much, but all this secrecy around this gathering had made me curios," Calypso admitted.

"You, and a lot of others." Taurus knew that letting the reason for the gathering stay secret had the beneficial side-effect of stirring the curiosity of the people, thus ensuring a great attendance.

_'And a good thing that we hold that secret. I don't want to know what kind of panic this would have created otherwise...' _he silently added. Good thing that this hadn't left the small circle of five people.

"Tomorrow will be somewhat quiet. A lot of business will stay closed since the whole thing buzzing around will make that day not your normal work-day. My employer also said I wouldn't have to work tomorrow," Calypso reminded him, wondering if Taurus actually knew that.

"That's news to me... Say, what actually is your work?" He had wondered that for a long time, and now he really wanted to know what the hell she did for a living.

Calypso laughed a little. "I thought you would have caught on it until now... Ok, I know most Naiads have everyday jobs, but I decided to follow my nature. I have a job in the big sealife aquarium, where I tend to its inhabitants. You don't know how interesting that sealife can be, once you get them to talk with you. Of course that means swimming around a lot, but since I'm made for the wet element, can hold my breath for quiet some time, and also can accidentally swallow quite some water without damage, it doesn't bother me. Only sometimes I'm quite exhausted at the end of my work shift."

Taurus could have sworn that she had just said all that without taking a breath. He had heard that Naiad had big lungs, but this was almost obscene. And he doubted that you could have a good discussion with fishes. "Actually funny that we had been neighbours for so long without me knowing what your job is."

"Actually not. My job is so obscure that most have no idea. Our landlady for example... That reminds me, I caught this old hag several times listening at your door. And she looks a little strange at me recently. I think she wants to catch us _'in the act'_," Calypso told him in amusement, obviously she didn't see it as annoying.

"Well, then she can wait for quite some time, because I don't think we will do _that_ anytime soon. And if that happens, I wouldn't dare to do that here." Taurus knew that his landlady was too curios for her own good. She deserved some frustration for her snooping around. Seeing Calypso blush a little, he asked, "Calypso?"

"Sorry." She had a little trouble to get her imagination under control. "My imagination got the better of me," she admitted, her cheeks still heated from the mental picture.

Taurus didn't want to know what she had imagined, but could guess that it must have been something sexual to cause this reaction. _'If this goes on, I will start to have interesting dreams at night...' _After what he had witnessed that morning, Calypso already had these.

_'I really wish my father was still alive... He surely would be able to give me some advice...' _But as it always was, Taurus had to get through this on his own.

00000000000000000000

**Next Day, 12:49PM:**

"This gathering must be really quite a big thing if they closed the school for today. Guess you two get a little longer before being thrown into the line of fire," Cassy commented to her friends while enjoying some fast food.

She only wanted to return to normal life as fast as possible, now that the mess with Achilles was over. She wanted to forget most of it, wanted to go on. And that included not moping around and return to her normal activities. So she had decided to hang out with her friends, after they told her that today was no school for them.

"Wish it would be like that. The school called my parents about when I took time off. Take three guesses how that went when I returned home," Cyan told her with a slight wince.

She wasn't known as someone who took school lightly, so her parents had reacted quite strong to the news that she had skipped school with no good excuse at all. Her mother had almost gotten her tail into a knot while lecturing her how irresponsible that was, while her father had implied (although it was more like threatened) that one more goof-up of this kind, and her allowance would take a vacation.

"Why do you look at me like that? Not everyone can have a father like mine," Cyc shrugged. Brontes had simply ignored the whole thing, saying that the school overreacted over such a triviality. And by now Cyc also had gotten over not being able to impress a female gargoyle (although this clear dismissal had been new for him).

"Thank all the gods. I don't even want to imagine how I would've turned out with him as a father," Cyan remarked, while taking a sip from the straw in her softdrink.

"Pure envy." Cyc then downed another piece of his jumbo-sized portion.

Cassy actually felt much better. While a lot of nasty stuff was still floating around in her brain, and still would for quite some time, right now she only was Cassy, teenage girl, sitting in a fast food joint and enjoying herself. It helped to get more distance to the horrific stuff. Normality had never been so good before, as it made her not think too much about all the shit that right now lurked in her head.

After everything that happened, no thanks, but she had no desire to brood over that stuff now. She wanted a break. Taking a bite from her meal, she followed the antics that developed between her two friends.

"Why should I envy you? The best your old man taught you is that wiggling your butt brings you an advantage," Cyan shot back.

"Oh please," Cyc said dramatically while rolling his single eye. "That from the girl who walks around with a naked ass all the time..."

"Hey, cut it! It's different for us Centaurs," Cyan defended herself.

Cyc chuckled. "Really? How is having the lower body of a horse making it OK to walk around half naked?"

"Because... because..." Cyan obviously now struggled with an answer. It was one of these things you simply never wasted a thought on since it was normal for Centaurs to walk around like that.

Cassy decided that this was a good moment to interrupt this round, as she already saw Cyan starting to blush. "All right, Cyc, that's enough. So back off."

"Spoilsport. Just when she became red..." Cyc then returned his attention to eating.

Cyan silently thanked Cassy that this topic had been dropped. Cyc simply questioning something that was socially normal for Centaurs had been disturbing for her. And right now she wanted the conversation to return to neutral ground. "I noticed a lot of shops are closed today as well... Seems the whole city is preparing for that thing. Eh, do you plan to attend?"

"Plan to? In the invitation it was almost an order for me to come. Makes me really wonder what all the fuzz is about that they make such a drama of it." Cassy hoped it wouldn't be too exciting. After the last week, she really had no need for something like that. "What about you guys?"

"No interest," Cyc waved it off. "Probably boring stuff anyway. I have more useful things to spend my time on."

"As if we should have expected something else..." Cyan mumbled, but then told Cassy, "Probably. I don't want to sit around at home and bore myself to death, with most of the city practically dead this evening."

"You're unimaginative how to fill your free time," Cyc commented. "Maybe I should give you some pointers?"

"No thanks, Cyc. But I think I'm better off without your advice." The last thing she now needed was Cyc telling her in detail how he spent his free time. Something she wouldn't even want to know in her most desperate hour.

Cyc took this easy, he was used to her usually declining his offers in that regard. "It's your loss..."

Leaning back, Cassy couldn't help but to feel relaxed while listening to this exchange of words between her friends. _'Ahhhhh... normality! I had no idea how much I had missed it!'_

Yes, life had finally returned to its normal pace for her. A normal, relaxing pace, enriched with the normal hilarity of life in New Olympus. That's how she wanted things to be after this hard time.

And she hoped it would stay so for a while.

**To Be Continued In... "To The Gathering, We Go!"**


	18. Chapter 18

**_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34._**

**_Previously:_**

_"You really didn't need to have come personally to clear that with me," Sphinx said to Taurus, while they together with some of remaining clan members rode up the elevator to the roof. They had just cleared the last details for next night._

_"I know, but I think that's important enough to warrant me doing that in person." And truth to be told, he felt better now that this was done, so that things wouldn't go awry next night, if that mess of rumours circulating about the clan right now was a indicator._

_"Good thing that we can evade curios eyes with our wings." Sphinx was relieved that she hadn't to put up with these people. At least not this night. "We will arrive as agreed next night."_

_--_

_"I'm not really made for speaking to crowds. I can be glad if I don't screw up my text," he openly admitted to her._

_"Oh, Chief Taurus has stage jitters?" Calypso giggled. The idea of Taurus being so nervous that he would forget what to say was amusing._

_Taurus again found it interesting how Calypso, who he by now knew was mentally and emotionally very mature, could act so innocently girlish. "What about you? Will you attend?" he asked her._

_"You bet. That's a chance you don't get often. That, and after you told me your friend will be there, I think it also will be good to finally meet her. Honestly, normally politics don't interest me much, but all this secrecy around this gathering had made me curios," Calypso admitted._

_--_

_"This gathering must be really quite a big thing if they closed the school for today. Guess you two get a little longer before being thrown into the line of fire," Cassy commented to her friends while enjoying some fast food._

**-Fallout, Part III**

**To the Gathering, we go! **

0000000000000000000

**Outside The Senate House; Nighttime: **

Cassy made her way over the Senate House, passing by hordes of nearly every race of New Olympian along the way.

In the end, Cyan had decided not to go. She and Cyc both had some studying to catch up on, and Cyan's parents were both still angry with her for skipping school, so she didn't want to tempt fate. But she had made Cassy promise to tell her everything after it was over. As for Cyc, Cyan had long since made it her solemn duty to ensure that he would get all his studying done. If she didn't then he would have most likely mountains of homework in his room now, dating all the way back to his elementary school days.

Probably was better that way. Judging by how crowded Senate Plaza was, at least half the city attended, if not more, and that meant that it was already crowded enough as it was. She hadn't seen such a mass of people ever since her arrival four years ago, meaning that it must be something really important.

"Hey, Cassy!" a voice called out to her.

She turned, and smiled at a familiar face… Orion.

"Rion," she greeted him happily. "Haven't seen you in a while. How you been?"

The young muscular Minotaur shrugged his masculine shoulders. "Oh, here and there," he replied.

_'He's gay, he's gay, he's gay,'_ Cassy reminded herself repeatedly in her head, as she watched how his muscles moved with each curve of his body. God, why was it always the really cute guys who were unavailable??

"I heard what happened with…" he began, but Cassy hushed him.

"Yeah," she said. "No offence, but… not something I like to talk about."

Rion held up his hands apologetically. "Sorry, not a single word more on the subject," he promised. "So you made it then?"

Cassy scoffed. "Didn't have much of a choice. I was practically ordered here. Remember what I told you in the park?"

"Ah yes..." Rion looked at her curiously. "Any idea why that was?"

Cassy shrugged. "Beats me. All my invitation said was that I had to come no matter what. All would be explained at the Gathering." By now she felt that the whole thing was slightly suspicious. Many simply ignored her existence, so why was she so important now?

"Cassy!" Manty's voice called, and she turned to see her adoptive father hurrying over towards her. "Thank goodness, where have you been?"

"Just with Cyc and Cyan," she told him. "Oh, Manty, this is Rion. Rion, this is my adopted father."

"Hi, nice to… "Rion started, but never finished…

"Sorry, but we really have to get a move on," he hurried his daughter. "Cassy, come on. The Senate is gathering, and we have to be there. Sorry for being so rude, Rion. It was nice meeting you."

Manty grabbed Cassy's hand gently in his mouth, and ran off, dragging her with him like a bat out of a cave.

Rion blinked at her hurried exit. "Was it something I said?" he said to himself.

_'That was rude...'_ Cassy thought, while Manty escorted her up the stairs leading to the main entrance. She could guess why Manty had done this, and she was embarrassed at how overprotective he was. Still, she would apologise to Rion later for Manty's behaviour.

Suddenly everyone went silent, and the people cleared a big circle at the top of the stairs. Some seconds later she saw why, when four Gargoyles landed in that free space. Cassy recognised Sphinx and Ikarus at once. The third was harder to put, until finally she remembered that this was the second-in-command, whose name she didn't remember. The fourth was a female elder whose name she remembered as Xanthippe (although she was mostly called Xant, as she hated her full name). They all wore something that looked like formal robes.

Most of these people hadn't seen a Gargoyle in their entire lives, and the rumours surrounding their stay at the hospital had made a lot of people curious. The Gargoyles on the other hand were uncomfortable with all the attention directed to them.

Then Sphinx noticed Cassy, and approached her with a warm smile. "It's so good to see a familiar and friendly face."

"Hello, Sphinx... Wow, I didn't know you had so formal looking robes." She knew it sounded stupid, but it was the first thing that came to her mind.

Sphinx didn't seem bothered. "Actually I hate these things; they constrict my movement a little too much. But as the leader, I've got to look presentable during such things." Of course she didn't mention that this was the first time in many years that a clan leader attended to something like this.

"I bet you're also wondering what this is all about?" Cassy asked her friend.

"Yes. Seeing as they make such a fuss about it, it must be really important. They even bothered to hold it at night so that we can come. Well, I think our curiosity will be satisfied soon enough."

That being said, they all made their way inside.

Nearly every species of New Olympian filed into the Senate House, from towering Cyclops to miniature Cupids. Cassy and Manty took their seats, which were located near the base of the Greek theatre-like Senate House.

Cassy found it odd that they had such seats there. She had only ever been to one Senate, and that was her own when she first arrived on New Olympus, a day she preferred to forget. But she did know that only those who were directly involved with whatever the Senate were discussing were allowed to sit where she was sitting. That, or when people with influence arranged something.

Sitting by her to the right seemed to be those of the Senate Council, who were Echidna, Xylon, and Taurus. Thankfully, Echidna was right down at the other end of the aisle, nowhere near her. Aside from the odd hateful glare she threw her way, which Cassy could not notice, she stayed pretty much out of her way.

Sitting to her left were the Gargoyles. She wondered a little why they sat there, but then decided that probably after the recent events, they were considered to be involved with her. That, or there wasn't any other place where to seat them. Oddly enough there was one vacant seat beside her.

_'I wonder why...?'_ But her thought process was interrupted.

"Oh hello, you must be Taurus's friend!" a female voice greeted her enthusiastic.

Looking again to her right, she saw a Naiad maiden approaching. She seemed quite eager to talk with her, and Taurus seemed slightly embarrassed at her direct approach. "Uhhh... hello?" Cassy didn't know what she should say.

The Naiad seemed a little embarrassed upon seeing this reaction. "Oh, how rude of me! I'm Calypso, a fried of Taurus. He told me so much about you, I got all excited about finally meeting you."

Cassy didn't know what to make of Calypso. She seemed so blubbery and excited, that she could pass as a child. But during her stay on the island she had learned that she shouldn't judge people by their looks… Sometimes she had learned the hard way, as there had been some embarrassing situations.

The loud bang of the Senate's traditional gong sounded, indicating the beginning of the meeting, and the crowd instantly hushed. Calypso decided to speak with Cassy later, and sat down, awaiting eager what would come. A few moments latter, Boreas walked into the Senate, his face solemn as always…

"Citizens of New Olympus," he addressed them all. "You have all been summoned here to discuss the dawn of a new possible era for our people."

A confused murmur went along the crowd, but Boreas continued…

"I have asked you all to attend here because… a recent new problem has forced those of us on the council to reassess the laws, by which we have lived by for thousands of years. Laws that may very well soon be default."

The confusions only deepened among the crowd, but their confusion paled in comparison to their curiosity at the sight of Gargoyles and the lone Human in their midst.

"I have asked the Gargoyle clan to send a delegation, as they are all inhabitants of this island as much as we are," Boreas announced. "And the same goes for the Human, however… her appearance here is for another reason also, as you will all soon learn."

"What is going on?" a voice yelled out from the crowd, followed by the agreeing murmurs of his fellow New Olympians.

Boreas sighed, preparing himself for the eventual uprising of shouts that were bound to soon follow…

"My fellow New Olympians," he declared. "As of a few days ago, Talos had detected a new Human satellite sent up into earth's atmosphere. The satellite had some kind of new tracking system on it that was able to pierce our cloaking device… "

A loud worried cry emitted from the seats of the Senate, as all the New Olympians looked shocked and fearful.

"Do not worry," Boreas assured them. "Talos was able to adapt our clocking system to compact the scans of the satellite. We are, as of yet, still unknown to the Human world."

A sigh of relief could be heard throughout the entire Senate House, but Boreas was not yet finished…

"However," he said gravely. "That does not mean we will be so fortunate next time. We found out that this was only the first for a whole series to cover all of Earth."

The crowd of multiple species stared at him.

"We have all been putting this off for far too long," Boreas explained. "For thousands of years, we New Olympians have lived here on our island in harmony, safe from Human bigotry and persecution. But times are now changing, and we must change with them!" He looked back at the crowd, his large plain blue eyes silencing them with his intense stare. "Talos warned us long ago that Human technology was progressing much quicker than we could imagine. The report concerning the satellite proves his theory without a doubt, leaving us to face facts… The time for hiding is coming to an end. We have to start making preparations for introducing ourselves to the outside world… to the Humans."

The sound was deafening…

Every New Olympian there was in an instant uproar, shouting and bawling about how Humans weren't to be trusted, Humans hurt their ancestors, Humans were barbaric, and some saying that this was the entire Gargoyles' doing…. etc.

Many who had gathered knowledge about Gargoyles after their re-surfacing some days ago started blaming them because they knew that the Gargoyles were historically close to Humans and had live together with them for a long time (a reason why some even now saw them as traitors).

Boreas held up his hand, silencing everyone.

"No matter what the excuse is," he declared. "The fact remains, as I said, that the time for hiding is coming to a close. Whether we like it or not, the Humans are going to one day find us. Now, the only question is… What do we do when they find us?"

Almost immediately there was a further uproar of various 'suggestions'…

"Destroy them!"

"We combine our powers, take them on and enslave them!"

"No! We must try to make a peace treaty with them! We can't take on a whole world with just our island's resources!"

"SILENCE!" Boreas commanded. "I understand your frustration, but we cannot allow our personal feelings and vendettas decide our overruling decision. Each of you will be asked his or her own opinion, but I must ask you first to remember that not all Humans are bad. Our encounter with the Human Elisa Maza, and our own Miss Cassandra Williams has taught us that… "

Cassy meanwhile had grown very quiet. Boreas' words echoed through her, "…introducing ourselves to the outside world… to the Humans."

The Humans were coming… Her people were coming. There was a chance that she might be meeting up with some of her own kind again very soon

"We will start with we on the council," Boreas continued, and indicated Echidna who was responsible for the inner matters of New Olympus. "Starting with Echidna." He said, as he backed away slowly, allowing Echidna the ears of the public.

Echidna got up from her seat, slithering down the steps to the eye of the crowd. She approached all of them with dignity and authority, but also with a hint of pride and somewhat arrogance.

"Boreas is right," she announced. "We all knew this day was coming, though many of us prayed otherwise. The important thing now is to prepare ourselves for the coming danger!" She waited a moment while the crowd murmured amongst themselves. "You've all heard the numerous tales from our ancestors, when they were persecuted by Humans, driven into exile just because of the way they looked… From what we know of Humans today, can we say they've actually changed from the days of old?!"

Boreas sighed. He didn't know why, as he knew right from the start what Echidna's feeling were on the Humans. Even after their experience with Elisa Maza, and the coming of young Cassy, she still hadn't changed her views on Humanity, believing the only good Human was a dead one.

"It is my belief," Echidna continued. "That if we can no longer avoid the Humans, then we must be prepared to fight!"

A cheer of agreement came from the right, along with just as much oppositions. There were a number who wanted to fight the Humans, some who were willing to do it for as silly a reason as to avenge their ancestors. But there were also, thankfully, just as many who had different views, wanting to speak to the Humans first before acting out such a rash action.

"We can't just attack them right out!!" a young Minotaur cried out from the crowd. "They haven't even learnt of us yet. We should at least give them the benefit of the doubt, and try to make friends with them first."

Echidna sneered. "Since when have Humans ever fought for peace? They know only hatred and bloodshed, just because they think they're the better species!"

"Over 2000 years ago maybe," the Minotaur countered. "But have you forgotten Miss Maza, the Human who came to our island years ago? We treated her like dirt, and then imprisoned her here like a criminal, despite the fact that she was travelling with 3 Gargoyles, a race we're supposed to trust. Yet despite all that we did to her, she remained here and even helped our own security force take down one of our most dangerous criminals. And just when he was getting ready to destroy our home, too… Does that sound like the typical Human we were all taught about at school?!"

"Only a single Human! Says nothing about the lot of them! We can clearly win if we strike first," Echidna still insisted.

"You're a fool to propose such a strike without first knowing the facts," Xylon said in dismissal, waving off her aggressiveness. He was one of those people for who knowledge was power, and he DID know the facts, one of the reasons he wasn't in the war-chorus. "You probably don't even know how many Humans exist right now."

"It can't be that many!"

Xylon rolled his eyes. "The current Human population of the world is over 6 billion at the moment. That alone makes it clear that the odds are highly against us. Anyone with eyes and a radio can see that! Anyone with a brain knows that those are not good odds."

Everyone had become silent, all of them watching the duel being fought between these two. It was an open secret that Echidna and Xylon were opposed to each other on political, philosophical and ideological grounds, and thus a hard debate was guaranteed. That, and the sheer number of 6 billion had shocked most of them into temporary silence.

Echidna truly hadn't thought that the number would be so high, but now she couldn't lose face, so she pressed on. "That only proves that we do need to strike with all force, as long as we have the advantage!"

"Yeah!"

"She's right!"

Xylon smirked. "The advantage? You truly are ignorant. The Humans are in possession of weapons that are a match with what we can dish out." And to underline his words, he activated the big screen. "This is footage of a test of one of their smaller weapons, found within their data network."

The screen at first showed an empty desert-scape. But then a white flash caused everything to go white for a second, then a huge fireball literally exploded outwards, finally forming a mushroom-cloud of immense size. Then the footage ended.

"They have hundreds of these weapons, many much stronger." Xylon smirked. He loved to push his opponents into a corner.

Echidna was angry. No one likes being pushed into a corner, and now she was even more fearful, and with fear, brings anger and hatred.

Xylon was again humiliating her, to prove that he was the smartest, a usual theme in their political fights. "Xylon, you are so fixated on this, that I can now see you are a Human-lover if you want to show off how oh-so powerful they are," she accused him. "Humans will walk on the moon, before their weapons can hurt us!"

Cassy snorted when hearing this remark. The whole debate had right now degenerated into a personal insult fest.

Echidna had heard it. "You want to add something to this, Human?"

Cassy suddenly felt all eyes on her. Most spectators had been half-watching her, after all this was all her fault…in some manner. She had no desire to stay in the spotlight. "Only that Humans set foot on the moon already 30 years ago."

Echidna knew when a day was lost. There were quite some people laughing at her now, so she sulked and accepted that maybe this round was lost, but she now would have much work in the long run.

Finally Boreas again called to order, hoping that now things could get back into safer waters. The next to speak was Taurus. He didn't look like he was eager for this position, and looked slightly nervous when he started to speak.

"I have thought long and hard about my position, and after considering all factors, I can only decide that war is the worst we can do. Not only are the forces of our island incapable of waging a war, as they are purely defensive, they also are only a police force. And even if we go to war, this is a war we will lose. In case of an attack, we would be essentially defenceless! The only practical solution, and I speak of one that will ensure the security of our island, will be negotiations with the Humans."

There were a number of shouts of agreement, while Calypso couldn't help but to admire him. He had spoken in no-nonsense and made his position clear. That was what she loved about his character.

Then came Sphinx. Cassy saw that her face had lost most emotion, clearly a sort of leader-mask for such occasions. "I can not speak for the people of New Olympus. But I will speak as the leader of my clan. And I say that a peaceful solution has to be found. After 2000 years of isolation, my clan will be ready to accept change."

She was interrupted by some voices.

_"Typical outsider!"_

_"Cowards!"_

_"You only want to leave!"_

Sphinx nearly fell apart, but slowly pulled herself together. "I won't deny that we strive to establish contact to other clans in the world. And while we are a race of proud warriors, we seek to find a peaceful solution."

Of course this didn't help to shut up the ones who really disliked the Gargoyles, causing Sphinx to snarl, her eyes gleaming slightly red. She sat back down, feeling that right now she wouldn't be able to say more without getting angry. That the Gargoyle race in general was trash-talked was a big offence to her.

"SILENCE!" Boreas' loud voice boomed all across the Senate, having the desired effect.

"We have all heard everyone's point of view…. except one," he walked slowly forward, indicating the youngest member of the Senate.

Cassy looked up at him in shock, feeling all eyes of the New Olympians on her, and not liking it.

"What, me?!" she squeaked.

"This debate is about the Humans, and you are a Human, correct?" Boreas asked.

Cassy felt a cold sweat come over her. "But I… I-I-I haven't even been with my kind for over four years. I don't know what advancements they've made or… "

"Be still, child," Boreas quieted her. "We only seek your input about what you believe will be your kind's most obvious reaction, should we reveal ourselves to them?"

Cassy moaned, still uncomfortable with the countless eyes on her. "Well…" she began. "I can't speak for the whole of my race, as there have been some good and bad people alike in the past, and probably always will be. But all in all, I have to say that… most likely, when and if you reveal yourselves for the first time to them, they will be scared. My mother always told me that it is the nature of Human kind to fear what they do not understand. But there are still a great many good people in the world, you just have to find them and… "

"Minotaur shit!" a voice yelled out. "She's sugar-coating it! The only good Human is a dead one…Have you forgotten what the Humans did to the Centaurs, the Harpies, and the Cyclops race?! They very nearly wiped them out!"

Booming and screeching cheers erupted in agreement from groups of Centaurs, Harpies, and Cyclopes. Cassy cowered at vocal explosion. She breathed in deeply and regained her composure.

"But that was over two millennia ago! Maybe the Humans have changed," a voice patiently boomed. Cassy immediately recognized it as Rion.

"Change? Change?!" a female voice squawked from the balcony. "What guarantees have we that the Humans have changed?"

"Well," another female spoke up in a seductive tone. "It's been over two millennia for us, and other than technology I haven't seen much change in the way of manners and civility…"

Both sides of the argument were forced to face palm at the comment. Probably among the most logical and unchallenged statements made that night…

"What I am saying is that it has been over two thousand years. Progress has been made in our world and obviously their world," Rion stated. "We are receiving signals from more and more distant parts of the world, so the Humans have spread out, and by spreading out, they've met others…other races and whatnot. And they're interacting with each other too. Perhaps they have learned to be tolerant now. Meanwhile, we've been stuck on this island and we've become island minded…"

A further chorus of angry voices was soon echoed around the Senate building, as the voices piled upon one another, arguing and debating with Rion's choice of words. Some chose to listen, whilst others refused and remained with their way of thinking…

"Humans can never change!" a male voice bellowed. "They tried to wipe out nearly all of our ancestors, and if that weren't enough…. After we were gone, they set their sights on lower beings such as animals. I heard that they have brought extinction to all sorts of creatures that once were common, such as the Dodo bird and various others!"

"He's right!" another male voice shouted. "Humans are unredeemable! They live only to destroy others! Peace is the last thing on their minds!"

"Don't be so damn close-minded!" Rion roared back at him.

The Senate soon escalated, as voices shouted and raged, chaos reigning throughout the entire building.

_"Stinking Humans nearly wiped out my family!"_ one voice said amidst the chaos.

_"They nearly slaughtered the whole Centaur race for no reason!"_ others followed.

_"My kind were once worshipped as Gods, but then they turned against us, killed us!" _

_"The Cyclops race was nearly made extinct just because the Humans feared their large size! And they never did anything to them…!" _

That last angry comment made Cassy stop and prick her ears up…

'Never did anything??' she thought, shocked. "EXCUSE ME!!"

The whole Senate suddenly silenced, being amazed at the strength in one so small as the young Human female.

"Errr, hi?" Cassy added nervously. "Forgive me, but… Well, I heard you talking about all that my kind have done to yours, but… Didn't your ancestors ever do things that… _weren't_ so honourable?"

The voices that shouted and snarled back at her were her answer…

She swallowed and stood straight up. "Centaurs are known as an honourable race, but what about in the past… Centuries ago, they were invited to a Human wedding ceremony where they drank their first taste of wine, which as you know Centaurs are more prone to than Humans. They proceeded to attack the wedding guests. Maybe it wasn't their fault, as they had never had alcohol before, but do not act like this never happened. I've heard New Olympians brag and speak about this often, but it is no worse than what Humans have done in retaliation. Because of this incident you even have a law that does not allow Centaurs to purchase or drink alcohol."

She gulped again, her blood running hot, not with anger or fear, but excitement. "And the Harpies… In their history they attacked and destroyed whole ships of innocent men…and the Cyclopes…

She paused, thinking of Cyc, and swallowed. "They all did horrible things, too."

New Olympians began to hiss and growl in anger. Trash was tossed towards the stage.

"What are legends of Humans to you, is what legends of you are to Humans!" Cassie exclaimed.

_"Lies! All lies!" _

_"How dare she dishonour our proud family's legacy!" _

_"Oh grow up and face reality, will you?!" _

_"What would you know about Centaur history, you dumb Ox?!"_

"ENOUGH!!" Boreas roared, his staff spouting huge amounts of electricity throughout the air, around the Senate.

But one New Olympian was not ready to keep silent just yet…

"One question, if you will be so kind, Boreas?" Echidna enquired. "Miss Williams… You claim to know much about Olympian history, but tell me… do you have any definite proof of these so-called facts of yours?"

Cassy opened her mouth, but closed it again. "Well, I… I… Some of them maybe, but… "

"You see!" Echidna said smugly. "This Human, like all those of her kind, sees fit to lie about anything for their own needs and wants! How can we trust a species that lies so openly?!"

"I'm not lying!" Cassy shouted at the serpent-woman.

"Then where's your proof, _Human_?!"

Cassy breathed heavily, as she sniffed back the tears emitting from her eyes.

"So I gathered!" Echidna sneered. "No further questions, Boreas."

The rest of the meeting went on as before…vicious arguments coming from every race and gender, each shouting their own fears and doubts, most of them being adamant in either remaining closed off from the Human race, or attacking them in sight.

All through the rest of the meeting, Cassy had remained quiet and still, merely listening to the chaos around her. She thought of Echidna and thought of something… She did have proof of her accusations! But there was a problem… if she were to present them there and then, she would be in great danger of loosing something very dear… a friend.

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**An Hour later; Outside The Senate Hall:**

"Gods, that was worse than an cage full of apes!" Cassy shuddered, while making her way out together with Calypso and Ikarus.

In the last hour she had lived through a mixture of various parties shouting insults at each other, political babbling, arguments and facts. And in all this, the falcons that repeatedly cried for war. Good thing that she was finally allowed to take her leave. Manty stayed, eager to participate in the raging debate.

Sphinx and Taurus had spoken again several times, feeling the need to reinforce their arguments. This also was when the stress had shown visible signs in Sphinx' face, her eyes had glowed blood-red while she had angrily debunked the accusations of one senator who had called the clan a willing tool of traitors who wanted to sell out the island.

Right now she could still hear the con and pro war supporters in a shouting match, and on Senate Plaza was an ignited discussion among the gathered. It seemed the whole issue was really a hot iron for the public. They'd been hit unprepared by it and now were in the process of trying to make sense of everything.

"I pity Sphinx that she has to endure more of this, but that's the price you have to pay for being the leader," Ikarus added, feeling sorry for his leader. Good thing that he had managed to slip away by saying that he wanted to escort Cassy out. "Well, I wish I could stay and talk with you, but I better go back."

Watching the Gargoyle leave, both felt that he most likely wouldn't return, but would instead wait in the corridors to escape the madhouse that was the senate hall.

With him gone, Calypso turned to Cassy. "You know, I wished Taurus could be here with us right now. But still, it's great to finally meet you! You did great in the senate hall!"

Cassy couldn't help it, but Calypso's blatant enthusiasm was charming and made her forget for a moment about what had happened inside the senate… but only for a moment. "You know, I envy you. You didn't lose your good mood despite what happened."

Calypso lost her smile when hearing this. "Don't get me wrong. I do take this stuff serious… very serious. But I try to not let it get to me. Many think I'm an idiotic airhead, and I let them think it so that they leave me in peace."

"You are strange. I would do everything to be taken seriously. Say, how did you and Taurus become friends?" Cassy wondered. This Naiad was truly a strange woman, but nonetheless she radiated niceness.

"I actually live in the apartment beside him... And we started to know each other when he looked for someone to take care of his pet fish when he was away. It's not like that stuff in these romance novels..." Calypso stopped speaking when she feared that she had said too much.

Cassy did notice it. "Guess you have a crush on him, huh?"

Calypso turned an interesting shade of blue. "All right, I did develop a crush on him. We came to an agreement that we will be friends, and should wait and see if it will develop into something bigger..." She let it hang in the air. "Funny that we both know next to nothing of each other, but talk about my love life."

"Yeah, a shame."

She was interrupted when they heard shouting from the big transmission wall and saw one of the high politicians holding a flaming speech. "Uh-oh, looks like the next round's started."

"Poor Taurus," Calypso said, when hearing attacks against him in the speech, and sighed. "I fear us getting to know each other is postponed for now. I need to give Taurus some support."

"Hey, why don't I come tomorrow and we can talk with sunshine and something cold to drink? I don't have school for some more days, and I was wondering what to do with my time. And this will be definitely better than us talking during the night," Cassy suggested, finding that she liked Calypso.

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**Later; Cyan's House:**

Cassy knocked on the door of her friend's house, thinking. She and Calypso had agreed to meet tomorrow. There weren't many who treated her with kindness on their first meeting, so she really wanted to get her to know her better. It was very rare for the opportunity to have a new girl-talk to arise. There were only so much Cassy could talk to Cyan about. Calypso's flirtatious mannerisms and big sister attitude was a welcomed breath of air.

"Hey, girl," Cyan greeted cheerfully, but then noticed her friend's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Cassy sighed. "Trust me," she replied. "You should have gone to the meeting tonight, Cy. They are probably still busy with shouting at each other."

"Why, what happened?"

Cassy opened her mouth to speak, but instead asked… "Where's Cyc by the way?"

Cyan shrugged. "Orin called him up. Apparently the River Styx' usual stripper was off sick, so they needed someone else to cover his shift. Wanna go see?"

Cassy shuddered, holding up her hand. "Thanks, but I've seen enough of Orin's muscles and Cyc's ass to last me a hundred lifetimes… "

It took her a while, but eventually she laid out all the events of the Senate's meeting to her Centaur friend. She was particularly thorough with the details of Echidna and the other New Olympian's opinions of declaring possible war on the Human world.

Cyan snorted. "Strike first before they do, yeah right!"

"Yeah, right now they are screaming for war... Of course they are only few, but scream so loud that they tune out everyone else. They don't get that this is a war they can't win. The sheer scale alone should make them shut up, but it didn't." Cassy couldn't believe that people could be so blind to facts.

"What is the scale?" Cyan wondered. She had never tried to think about the outside world, so she didn't know what to expect. Although Cassy had mentioned Xylon using the numbers against Echidna, but Cassy hadn't actually named any numbers.

Cassy wondered how to explain. "How many people live on the island?"

"All in all I would guess a little over 10,000, although I could be wrong."

Cassy knew that Cyan probably would understand what she was about to tell her now. "Okay, now imagine that where I come from, that's only considered a small town. There are cities with millions of people living in them."

Cyan had guess that the number of Humans would be great, but that surprised her. "How many Humans are there actually in this world?"

"All in all? I think the number is a little over 6 billion people by now." Cassy saw that this had the intended effect when Cyan's eyes went wide. "And to imagine that some still think that we fight with shields and spears... Even I as a kid knew that there are weapons that could devastate the whole island in mere seconds."

Cyan gulped, as she hadn't thought that mankind would be already this far. Far, yes, but not already having such weapons of mass destruction. And the mere idea of these weapons being used against them made her nauseous. "You're right. That's a war we can't win."

Cassy sighed. "I suppose I always knew that someday New Olympus would make contact with the outside world, and I would get to see my people again. I used to dream about it, but now… Now that it's happening, I don't know… it just doesn't feel real. I still feel like I'm dreaming."

Cyan looked at Cassy silently. "Cassy," she began hesitantly. "If you were given the choice… Would you… That is, would you consider… "

"Leaving New Olympus and going back to live with my own kind for good?" Cassy finished for her.

Cyan swallowed, and nodded.

Cassy sighed again. "Honestly, I don't know," she said truthfully. "To be frank, there are a lot of times when I would just love to get away from this island and all its people. The same people who've basically made my life a misery here."

At Cyan's crestfallen look, Cassy hurriedly added… "But then again, there are also a lot of times when I just can't see myself living anywhere else. I mean, I've lived here for years now; Manty is here, Aunt Mantaura, you and Cyc, Taurus, Boreas, as well as all the others. I just can't bear to imagine life without you. The biggest question is, 'can I go back?' Somehow I feel may just be as isolated there, if not more so, than I am here. There's so many things I missed back home, and there's so many things I've gained here."

Cyan grinned happily, but still noticed Cassy's look… "But you still don't know what your decision would be, if given the choice?" she finished for her.

Cassy nodded sadly. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I really don't know. But if some of the people at the Senate have their way, I won't ever get the chance. They seemed really gunned up and ready for war!"

"Typical," Cyan scoffed. "You would think after having you live here all these years, not to mention what happened with that Maza woman, they'd have learnt a little by now." She sighed. "Sad truth is… Olympians tend to think back on their history with a hazy view. We all know what Humans did to our ancestors, we've accepted that, but many of us aren't willing to let the past be forgotten. They want vengeance, even if it's for something that happened waaaay before their time. And I imagine they also don't like the idea of sharing this world with others, particularly those whose ancestors once hurt ours."

Cassy stiffened a little at that, but nodded in agreement. She also knew that some circles in New Olympus held alive the 'victim-myth'. A myth that was egoistical, as it tried to monopolize suffering and essentially disregarded the suffering of others. She had learned that during her time with the clan. She then looked out the window, chewing her lower lip in thought.

"Cyan," she said hesitantly. "Can I ask you something personally?"

"Sure, what?"

Cassy opened her mouth to speak then closed it, and then opened it again. "You know that not all the stories about how Humans hurt the original Olympians are entirely accurate, right?"

Cyan shrugged. "Sure. A lot of them aren't. I mean you know how my people tend to get wild with the drink. But they didn't know that 2000 years ago, and as a result they started a lot of brawls and eventually caused a war. Keep in mind though, a lot of them tried to make up for their past mistakes, but none of the Humans were willing to listen."

Cassy nodded. "Even so, the Humans weren't completely to blame, were they?"

Cyan nodded. "Yup, so?"

Cassy swallowed. "Cy, be honest… Do you really believe that your people will ever make peace with mine, as long as they continue believing that their ancestors were totally in the right, and the Humans were completely in the wrong?"

Cyan moaned a little, screwing up her face in thought. "Honestly… " She sighed. "No, probably not."

Cassy nodded, but carried on. "What if I told you that I knew of a possible way that might make some of the Olympians face the truth about their past? Maybe not all of them, hell probably not any of them… but a good chance anyway."

"How could you do that?"

"I can't answer that," Cassy said quickly, not wishing to divulge anything too much. "But the problem is… if I did do what I'm suggesting, then it would mean going behind somebody's back, somebody I care about and who trusts me, and divulging one of their family's deepest and darkest secrets."

Cyan sucked in some air through her teeth. "Ohhh, that's a tough one," she admitted. "Can I ask, does this someone have a name? Or is it someone I know?"

Cassy shook her head. "I don't want to sell anyone out, Cy. I'll try to keep their identity a secret of course, not just from you but also from all of New Olympus, but even so… It won't take a genius for them to figure out that I was the one who did it. And when they do… I'm not so sure he or she will ever be able to forgive me for betraying them."

Cyan scratched her head thoughtfully. "That…. does sound like a problem." She tapped her chin, and finally looked at her friend. "I suppose you need to ask yourself what is more important?"

"Huh?"

"Think about what might happen with each decision you make, Cass," Cyan suggested. "If you don't do anything then you'll be keeping a friend, but… for how long?"

At Cassy's questioning look, Cyan explained. "If you don't do anything then chances are that no one on this hate-filled island is going to be willing to consider the option of talking with the Humans. If that happens, then bam, war it is. Many of our people will be sent into battle, and in the end none will survive. We maybe the most advanced civilisation on the planet, Cass, but even we can't hold off against an entire world forever. It might take years, if we're very lucky, but in the end we will loose one way or another."

Cassy shuddered, imagining Taurus, Cyc and countless others lying dead in a battlefield with the corpses of Humans.

"If however you do decide to go ahead with your plan," Cyan continued. "Whatever that is, then there's a chance the people might listen, however slim. In which case, you'll be doing your friend and everyone else a big favour by possibly saving their lives."

Cassy smiled, but soon lost it…

"But I could also end up loosing one of my best friends forever, couldn't I?" she remarked.

Cyan sighed and nodded. "Sad but true," she admitted. "But if he or she is still alive, then there's a chance you could always reconcile with them someday. You won't get that chance if they're dead."

Cassy sat where she was, thinking, her thoughts in a jumble, until finally she got up…

"Where are you going?" Cyan asked, as Cassy headed out the doorway.

"Home," Cassy simply replied. "I have some writing to do."

_'Writing,'_ Cyan thought blankly.

0000000000000000000

**Cassy and Manty's Apartment, half an hour later: **

Cassy made her way into her room. Manty was no doubt still at the Senate, probably trying to add his two cents to the raging debate in the senate, which she felt would take until deep into the night. Not that she thought it would have any use to break up the hardened fronts.

She reached underneath the pillow on her bed, withdrawing a large handheld computer-screen…

She stared at it for a few minutes, before going over to her computer, activating it.

She plugged in the handheld device, setting up a link between it and her own computer. The small device's file came up on her large screen, and she read it again for a few more moments. By now, she had read the whole thing, and knew it all almost by heart.

Taking a deep breath, she started typing on her flat-keyboard…

**'This is a message to all New Olympians… This story is not a story at all!'** She began.

She spent the next hour or so writing in her own additions to the file, comments and side-notes to guide the reader through everything, until she thought that it was adequate enough for her needs.

After she finished typing in her own words, Cassy paused for a moment, wondering what to name the title of her file. Every new story had to have a title to go with it.

She chewed her lower lip, thinking, until finally she decided on…

**'Looking Into The Mirror!' **

She was pleased with the title, as she thought she suggested everything that she was striding for… the chance for all New Olympians to look into themselves, and see the truth.

Then came the hard part…

The island of New Olympus had some bits and pieces of technology that was unearthly similar to that of the Human world. One of them was something akin to the Internet, which she barely remembered as it was something still in its beginnings when she left home.

Because New Olympus was only an island, and not wishing to make contact with the rest of the world, their Internet only consisted of several web-pages from right there on the island. Most were just shopping networks, including that of Manty's sister, Mantaura. But there was also a large database that allowed all New Olympians to upload any file they should wish the rest of the island to see.

It was basically the New Olympians version of a newsgroup board. And it was the island's most popular website, as literally everyone almost continuously used it. It was their way of publishing novels, and the fastest way to get news of what was going on around the island.

Cassy took a deep breath, as she made the finishing touches to the file, and prepared to press the upload button.

She paused again, wondering for the millionth time if she was doing the right thing or making the worst mistake of her life. She knew there was definitely going to be a lot of objection to this file being made public, and not just from Cyc and his family, but also from every New Olympian on the island. It was literally going to throw their whole beliefs out the window, and they were no doubt not going to like that.

She was going to post the story under an alternate name of course, but she didn't know how effective that was going to be. After all, Cyc would soon recognise this story as that from his own family, so it wouldn't take long for him to figure out that that she was to blame. She was nervous already about what the rest of the island would say or do, but she was scared to death about what Cyc would do. How was he going to react when he learnt that she had stolen from him and his family, and then proceeded to upload it somewhere for everyone to see?

_'Come on! Don't get cold feet now!'_ she scolded herself for hesitating.

Cassy took another deep breath, and with what felt like her final act of bravery, she pressed the upload button…

**'UPLOAD COMPLETE! FILE POSTED!'**

**_To be continued... _**


	19. Looking Into The Mirror

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Odyssey34.

**Looking into**

**The Mirror**

**_This is a message to all New Olympians… This story is not a story at all! _**

**_Stories are made up fantasies with happy endings... This is an actual account of a crime that was committed long before New Olympus was ever founded, a crime which many believed was necessary, one that even many more would like to leave forgotten. If it had not been for one friend, I would never have learnt of this myself. _**

**_After a traumatic event of my own, I had found myself very much alone. Many of my friends and family tried to help me through the trauma, but none of them truly knew what I was going through. I felt as if I didn't have a friend in the world, and all I could feel inside me was the filth of my assailant. I had no place to escape, not even in my dreams. _**

**_When I found this journal, written by a young woman like myself, one whom had gone through the same pain, torment and anguish, as I had done… I felt as if I had finally found someone to connect with. Even though we had never met, and had been born thousands of years apart, we had both gone through the same ordeal that had tested our spirits to the very limit. It truly helped me to deal with my own demons, and when I was finished reading it, I had considered just forgetting about the book and leaving it to collect dust once again. _**

**_But times have now changed… Many of you will have heard about the hybrid Achilles, who now the Gods have finally granted peace. Many of you believe him to be simply a monster, one whom had no place in your fair society. But I am writing this to tell you…_****_it's all Minotaur Shit! _**

_**Monster or not, he was still one of your kind. He was born an Olympian, and had he not had the terrifying childhood that he endured, he might have very well have turned out differently. But even if he hadn't, I remember listening to how many New Olympians subjected him to horrendous prejudice, just because of the way he looked… like the ancient Humans treated your ancestors.**_

**_You claim that you have all reached a height of evolutionary progress… that you have all grown beyond the limitations of racial, religious, and personal differences. And you constantly remind your young about how the Humans treated you centuries ago… and yet today you treat a member of your own kind just the same!_**

**_So many of you like to continue believing the stories of the hatred, prejudice, and racism that the Humans showed to Olympians long ago. That they alone were responsible for your ancestors being so afraid that they chose to flee to a hidden island where they would live cut off from the rest of the world. _**

**_I have learned time and time again now that not all things are as simple as black and white. The Humans may have started all the bigotry centuries ago, or they may not have. We may never know, but neither does it matter. The point is… they were not the only ones at fault. _**

**_This novel contains pages taken from the journal of a young woman who was wronged by a race of Olympians, the Cyclopes. Back then, for those of you who do not know, Humans butchered many of the Cyclopes race, and as a result many of their females, if not all of them, were killed. As a result, the fate of the Cyclopes race was unclear, as without females their kind had very little future, and female Cyclopes are exceedingly rare even today. _**

**_This book reveals what the Cyclopes were forced to do to survive… _**

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Days have turned into weeks, or possibly months? I no longer have any indication of time. I recall a time when I had a name, the name of Helen, but that chapter of my life has now long since passed. I no longer have any need of a name.

My grandfather was one of my village's elders, and was skilled in the art of reading, which he taught me as a child. I never had any use for this skill whilst growing up, and I perhaps have no real need of it now. In truth, I do not know why I am writing this down, but I fear I may lose whatever sanity I have left. My Grandfather told me that writing sometimes helped to clear his mind, so I may as well make the attempt. I could use any help I can get.

As I said, my name is no longer important. My loved ones are either gone or believe me dead, which is more or less true. I am passed unrecoverable. My death is near, as I can feel it now. I've felt it for some time, but kept denying it, but now the truth is undeniable. I will soon join my ancestors, and my beloved who was stolen from me.

I am the daughter of a simple farming village in the land of Greece. My father was a simple farmer, like many of our village men, and my mother his devoted wife. I was no one special, at least when concerning my family.

As I said, my Grandfather was a village elder, but that is all. But although my family was not special, I myself was considered something of a peculiar rarity. My skin, although the rest of my family were all of a dark tone, mine however was an unnaturally light shade, almost as light as Hecate's moon herself. It was unfazed, unwrinkled by the hard labor under the sun, remaining light as loyalty, those whose fingertips never touched dirt, whose soft flesh never knew toil.

Because of this peculiar shade, the men of my village often looked upon me with desire. It scared me at first, but I learnt to accept it, and in time I learned how to charm the men, which was a most useful tool, particularly when I had chores to do.

I used to treasure my gifts, but now all they do is bring me continual grief. Perhaps the Gods were angered at my pride. In the eyes of the Gods, pride is a deadly sin, not always worthy of death, but a fall nonetheless.

But I am getting ahead of myself, there is still much to explain, and so little time remaining. My grandfather always said that every story must be told from the beginning, so it is from there that I must begin.

I did have a name once, long ago. It was Helen, daughter of Diana. I assume my mother, upon seeing my face, thought of the woman whose beauty cast a thousand ships and started a years' long war. Perhaps that name itself added to my haughtiness, my pride, my fall? But that name no longer has any meaning for me, for no one has called me by it for many a month.

My village was nothing more than a farming community. We provided food for ourselves, and sold excess produce to our neighboring villages, and even some to the city, anything that would bring us money.

About a year and a half ago, we received word from the city that some of the monsters that lived near them had turned against them, attacking them on sight. We were told to prepare ourselves, and thus we did. Our men left their homes sometimes for weeks at a time, hunting the monsters that threatened us. I remember the celebratory feast we would throw for them whenever they returned. It was some of the best food our village could provide for our heroes. Even a few bottles of city wine were opened for the occasion.

Out of all of our men, none was braver or a greater warrior than my beloved, Acacias. Although we were a farming community, Acacias was one of the few hunters and warriors, since farming claims many a young man to a life of such. He fought many of the monsters, driving them close to the point of extinction. I am only sorry that he did not succeed in those ventures.

Because of his values, one of the monsters, whose kin my husband had slaughtered, came looking for retribution. He stormed into our home, murdered my husband, and then as a final indignity, he took me as his... I wish I could say bride, but I am not even that, for I am no more than his whore, his pet, and mare. He violated my body, and then trussed me up like a leg of meat, and carried me like he would do his shopping. At least the geese bought at market were allowed their feathers, as they are carried over the shoulders of shoppers heading home.

That was the end of my old life. I prayed to the Gods that help would come, but none ever did, and now I fear my time is coming to an end. The Gods, they go so hot with anger, and then so cold with rejection.

I have started these notes as a means of venting my rage, and seeing to it that my story does not go untold. I am but one of the many women held captive by these one-eyed beasts. Many have already died by the beasts' will. Their stories have already been forgotten, just the trampled nameless. The Cyclops, for that is what his kind call themselves, believe those women have fulfilled their roles and that nothing more need be said of them. But I will not stand by and watch myself be forgotten!

I do not know if this journal I write will be preserved. For all I know, the Cyclopes may find it and have it destroyed...but I cannot sit by and do nothing. I have to at least try and save my spirit from going into oblivion.

My story begins when the Cyclops took me from my home. He bound me to his person by wrapping me up in cloth, like an Egyptian corpse, and dangled me at the end of his loincloth, with the other women he had captured...

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**Day 1: **

Truth be told, I do not remember much of the journey from my home to the Cyclopes' lair. I remember listening to the blood rushing to my head, as the Cyclops had tied me up and left me dangling upside down, but that is all, as I was still in shock over all that had occurred to me that terrible night, and my mind refused to focus.

Because of his violation, I was soaked in his seed. Never before had I felt such filth on me. Dear Gods, even now I can still smell the stench of him on me, even after all these months. Will I never be clean?

He had tied me up, like a mouse held by its tail, and carried right at his backside. Throughout the journey, as he moved, I was constantly jostled and banged about like a hanged man on his noose. Half the time I viewed some of the landscape, as he walked with me and his other 'prizes,' as he calls them. While the other half of the journey, I had nothing to see but his rear end.

"Enjoying the view?" he had asked me constantly, laughing at me. He seemed to take great delight in this (I suspect he is the trickster of his race, as everything he does, he does with his own warped sense of humor).

Eventually, we arrived at his stronghold, his home, although it is more like a prison, not just to us, but also to him and his brethren. I hear them arguing almost continuously about not being able to go anywhere, about being trapped in this oversized tomb.

Because of their gigantic size, the Cyclopes are obviously unable to go anywhere in daylight, or even at night, as they are soon spotted. They sometimes remain underground for days at a time. I still find it amazing that he was able to trod right up to my front door without anyone noticing him. Yes, our house was located near the outskirts of the village, but even so… not a pot or pan was left unshaken with his footfalls.

When we finally reached the home of him and his brotherhood, I heard him laughing and conversing with some of the others. The way they talked about capturing us, you would think they were talking about a hunt. But, in a way, I suppose that's what we are to them.

After we arrived, another female prisoner who cut our bonds with a dagger removed us from our bondage. I do not know what I was thinking at the time, but once I saw the dagger in her hands, all I could think about was my husband and all I had lost on that night, including my innocence. So in my shattered mind, I dove for the dagger and then plunged it into the arm of my warden, for all the good it did me.

With the amount of damage that I did to the Cyclops' arm, I might as well have been trying to stab him with a splinter. In fact, all he did was laugh at me, and told me that I was not very nice to him. After which, he took me and my sister cellmates away, and placed us all into a large wooden cage that he had had built especially for us.

I hope the cut gets infected.

The cage, from which I write, has been my home now for most of my time here in the Cyclops' stronghold. When we were first brought here, our fear all but consumed us, which may be a more terrifying feeling than being consumed ourselves, as we gazed out through the bars at our surroundings.

Besides us, and the slaves already in the cage, there were several more cages scattered through the Cyclopes' domain.

The domain itself is a huge cavern. I vaguely recall hearing the sound of what could have been the ocean, upon arriving here. There are many caverns in the cliffs on the ocean side, so it makes sense that that is where we are. Most of the cavern looks natural, but a lot of it looks as though it has been mined and carved. No doubt the caves in their natural state were unable to accommodate all of the Cyclopes here, so they had to carve the walls.

As I looked further around, I saw the other Cyclopes, many of whom were just standing around, talking amongst themselves. I did notice two others who were wrestling each other, near the center of the cave, with their brothers looking on and cheering them to victory. Some wore loincloths like my own kidnapper, which also held women in their captive, but most of them chose to wear nothing but the outfits of their birth.

I am repulsed at this species. They seem to not feel the need for decency, by not covering themselves up, not even in the company of ladies. They are truly without morals, as they flaunt themselves out in the open with no regard for other people.

Yet at the same time, I find myself unable to look away. For as repulsive and terrifying as they are, they are also magnificent to look upon, in their own way. Their tall strong bodies would make Zeus himself green with envy. The wrestlers themselves are a fine example, as the green skin on their heavy muscles shone with the firelight, their muscles bulging as they struggled against one another to succeed in the duel.

I found myself growing flushed, and sick at the same time. I know these creatures are not of my race, and that it is blasphemy to speak of them in such a way. Their kind has murdered my husband, my people, robbed me of everything I hold dear, and yet I find myself attracted to them. If I had had the dagger with me then, I would have gouged out my own eyes in disgust.

As for my Keeper, as that is what he is to me, and I do not know his true name… As with the wrestlers, I found myself disgusted and yet aroused at the same time. Like the others of his kind, he chooses not to wear anything, but his own hide. He sees nothing wrong or immoral in the display of his own flesh, and laughs at the way we shield our eyes from him.

As a result, he poses in front of us like the statues at the temple. When we continue to shield our sight, he picked each of us up in his own hand, and passes us all over his body, sometimes forcing us to feel his flesh. His obsession with himself is beyond arrogance and vanity…it's IN-sanity.

After he was more or less finished with flaunting himself at us, he returned us all to our cage, like a child returning a rabbit to its enclosure, and then came the next most distressing part of our ordeal. He picked the whole cage that we were within, carrying us all, and took us deeper into the cavern.

When I next looked through the bars, I saw that we had been placed amongst a whole row of cages, each filled with several women like us. The whole cavern was filled with the screams and cries of women; it seemed, from every corner of Greece.

A few moments after we were put down, I overheard the other Cyclopes speak fondly to our Keeper. It seemed as though they had been waiting for him, and was joyful at his return.

"Where have you been, brother?" one of them had asked.

To which my Keeper simply replied, "I've been busy," and patted the top of our cage, indicating us. The other Cyclopes cheered their approval, the sound echoing throughout the cavern.

I did not understand at first, but I was soon to realize… the rows of cages, the women… we were all in a cattle-market, and we were the cattle!

Each of the Cyclopes came round our cages, peering in, picking us up and examining each of us thoroughly. Some of them already possessed women, but traded some of them for new ones with the Cyclops who had taken them. Many of them took a keen interest in me, but my Keeper refused to part with me. In all honesty, I do not know whether to be relieved or horrified.

One of the more interested parties in me was one Cyclops who never took his eye off me. I can't say I knew what to make of him, as I was still in shock, and with all the Cyclopes that were staring down at us, their faces all sort of blurred together. He is no doubt like all the others, a stupid gullet that only cares about enjoying himself.

With no danger of any other beast taking hold of me, I sat by and watched as some of my cellmates were taken away. I watched helplessly, as they were dangled upside down by their legs, humiliated by their oppressors who think this to be nothing more than a big joke. I wish I could help, but my earlier attempt has already proven that any resistance from me would be pointless and futile.

Eventually, all of the Cyclopes chose whomever among the prisoners they wished to have as theirs, dropped them into their own cages and departing with them.

Only seven of us, including myself, remained. My Keeper has left for somewhere, I know not where and I do not care, as all I care about has been taken away from me. Eventually, he did return, along with another prisoner who he dropped none too carefully in with us.

I rushed to her side, should she need help, but when I looked at her, I backed away. For there is something about her, a look in her eyes that tells me that although she may live, there is no soul in her. She has a vacant void of a stare, which in the blink of an eye turned into a howling maddening frenzy of a glare.

The Cyclops obviously knows who she is. From the way he treats her, and her appearance, it seems as though she has been here for quite some time. I notice other Cyclopes spare her a glance, and none of them look too kindly on her.

I do not know who she is, as she does not answer to me, so for the time being I will call her simply 'the Madwoman,' for that is what she is.

The Cyclops stood above us, his hands on his hips, trying to make himself look impressive.

I do not know why I asked the next question. I did not want to know, and I still do not want to. It just came out before I could stop it.

"What are you going to do to us?" I asked.

The Cyclops gave me a dirty look, complete with a filthy grin. He claims that the sisters of my kind and I have been chosen to make up for the lives that our husbands, fathers, and brothers have taken from their race.

My mind was in a whirl, as all I wanted to do was to understand why they were doing this, why I had lost my beloved, my family, and my life. So I continued to ask why.

The Cyclops carried on smiling. He said their numbers had grown too few, and that many caverns that were once full, are now barren.

"What has that to do with us?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer, praying feigning naiveté may spare me cruelty and gain some sympathy.

"Your species' wiped out all of the _women_ in our kind. So now we need some new breeding stock… Does that answer your question?" he said, chills running up my spine.

He simply laughed after that, laughing at our expense, our humiliation and degradation, whilst I just remained sitting, cold and alone.

I had known what his answer would be from the start, as I recall the words he said to me after he took from me what should have been my husband's honor.

_"Now let us see if my work bears fruit,"_ he had said.

While I was sitting there, thinking these thoughts, I did not notice my Keeper's laughter die down, or how his huge eye glinted wickedly at us.

"Now then," he said smugly, and scratched himself. "Who's first?"

It didn't take any of us long to learn what he meant by that, and soon our whole cage was filled with screaming, combined with the screams of fellow prisoners in other cages, as the other Cyclopes copied our Keeper's example.

Our Keeper reached his hand into our cage, and pulled one of us out at random. May the Gods forgive me for thinking and writing these thoughts, but… I was thankful that the girl he picked wasn't me, most likely because he had already polluted me earlier that night, and I even praised the Gods for sparing me and having the Cyclops rape that poor girl instead.

I praised the Gods for having the Cyclops violate an innocent stranger…Hera, forgive me!

I watched, as he played with the young girl in his giant hand, bouncing her up and down, before extending his tree-thick fingers to her chest and lower regions, fondling them. The poor girl screamed and cried, but no one came to her rescue.

I tried blocking my ears and closing my eyes, but whether it was the girl's screams or the Cyclops' cheer and booming laughter, their noises soon found their way past my fingers and into my skull.

Finding no comfort in the darkness of my own mind, I opened my eyes again and watched as the beast lowered the girl down to his groin…and cringed, as the girl's screams echoed beyond the cavern, rivaled only by the sound of the Cyclops' grunts of laughter.

I watched her as her purity was stolen from her, like mine had been, as she rode up and down on the Cyclops' member. Her hands clutched into the thick hide of the monster's stomach, as though to try and stop what was happening, but with no success, her eyes shedding tears.

I couldn't bring myself to look up at our Keeper's face, but even without having looked at it, I can still feel the long grin that must have surely occupied it, even today.

"Look, brother!" I heard another Cyclops speak, seemingly to my Keeper. "She cries!"

To which my Keeper replied, "Brother, we make all the Human women cry… We make them cry tears of joy! Because no Human woman ever experiences true pleasure until they ride one of us!"

Their laughter makes my blood sear with a heat that would rival the flames of Hephaistos' own forge!

After he is finished with his latest conquest, my Keeper placed the young girl back in our cage, and then pulled out another one. He does this again and again, until all the girls are left with his stench upon them. I am the only one he doesn't take, but then his stench is already upon me anyway.

Once he is finished, he leaves us be and walks off to talk to his brethren…

Perhaps it is my own fear talking, or the Fates whispering in my ear, but even after the Cyclopes left us alone for those blessed few moments, my mind once again remembers my Keeper's frightening words…

_"Now let us see if my work bears **fruit**."_

I know it is too soon to know, and I did not think that such a thing could be possible, but I swear I can feel a part of him inside of me…_growing_.

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**Day 2: **

My Keeper is an animal of the truest sense. Like all of his kind, he enjoys in continuing to flaunt himself off to us. As if we, Human women, would ever willingly show interest in a creature such as him. Yet he continues to do so.

My Keeper's appearance is much like the rest of the Cyclopes… He is very tall, higher than the Temple of Zeus itself, and built entirely out of muscle. When he walks, it's like he's bringing with him the thunder of a thousand storms, shuddering the earth as he does so. Like all his people, his skin is of a dark green color, like the ocean, and he has long white hair, with an equally long white beard, and a single gold colored eye.

All of the Cyclopes appear exactly the same, with the same coloring and everything. If it weren't for some minor differences in their builds, heights and weight, it would be impossible to tell them apart. One Cyclops looks exactly like my Keeper, except that he has no beard.

One other thing that I have noticed about my Keeper is a strange red ruby that he always keeps close to him, either on his person or in some hidden compartment somewhere in the caverns. Some of the other prisoners have told me that Cyclopes often steal certain items from Humans whom they have killed in battle or a duel, as a sort of trophy, so obviously my Keeper must have taken this ruby from one of his victims.

Another thing that I have come to learn about my captor is that the Cyclopes use us for more than procreation… They also use us for entertainment.

After each of the Cyclopes had finished mating with each of their chosen few the previous night, they spent the rest of the night… _celebrating_.

For the rest of the first night, the Cyclopes enjoyed vigorous drink, thus making them roaring drunk and subjecting each of us to dreadful humiliations…

One Cyclops took all of his prisoners, and tied them around his midsection. From a distance, it looked like he was wearing an odd cloth made of string-laced material. He and all the others just laughed, as he pranced about the cavern, shaking his carcass everywhere, and terrifying the poor girls to death, as they had no choice but to cling to his flesh for safety. My heart especially really went out for the two girls who were tied to his rear end.

A group of older Cyclopes made one girl run a gauntlet, as they placed her on the ground, and then began stomping their huge feet, making the earth shudder. The girl had to run all the way across the cave to narrowly escape being trodden on.

My own Keeper, who I said I suspected to be the trickster of his kind, held a special event for the evening… He took out all seven of us from our cage; myself included, and began juggling us in his hands, as though we were nothing more than circus balls.

They all claim that we owe it to them! But no matter what they say, or do, nothing will ever convince me that we owe them nothing less than a slow death.

Out of all of us in his possession, my Keeper seems to take great joy in tormenting me most of all. I do not know why. Perhaps it is because of my unusually fair skin that makes me stand out from the rest of the other women here, the one single white mouse in a cage of shuddering gray mice.

No matter what the excuse, I am one of his greatest prizes, as he calls me. I am with him almost constantly, out of my cage...a subject that he uses for one of his many sick twisted games. The Cyclopes have a lust so great that it is greater than the mortal need for water, and if it were then I doubt the whole of Poseidon's ocean could quench this thirst.

One of my Keeper's games, I've noticed, is at night when we go to sleep. He does not keep us in our cages, when the night grows late. Instead, he takes us out and binds us in shackles, and then places us close to the cave entrance. It is a cruel joke, placing us so close to our freedom, and not being able to seize it. But that is not his game. His game is that by putting us there, we feel the breeze of the night more closely, and the wind freezes us to the bone. He lies right next to us, so that when the wind howls, some of the women move closer to him, to feed off the heat of his body, and use it as shelter from the wind.

It is a deliberate attempt to bring us closer to him, to form a bond, but I will have none of it. Some of my sister prisoners resisted at first, but in the end the cold proved too much for them, and now every night they cuddle up to him as a dog or cat would do with its master. Our 'master' takes great joy in this, with the exception of one. For no matter how strong the wind blows, or how cold it gets...Zeus himself will have to strike me down before I will ever willingly go near my husband's murderer!

Some of the Cyclopes use us for target practice, shooting small stones at us. Nothing that would kill us, but some have been knocked out for close to a week, and all the beasts do is laugh at their expense. This is but one of their many forms of entertainment. The other night, a group of them lay down on the ground, side by side, and then they took one of us and forced her to run across them, while they jumped and jolted their bodies, timing how long it would take for her to slip and fall off. They take great pleasure in seeing us hurt or humiliated further. It is the center of their whole lives.

They say that they are not the last of their kind. They claim that there are others, some of whom are joining with other different species that are planning to find a new home. I do not know whether or not this is true, but I pray that it is. If they leave, then maybe they will leave us behind, and I can still survive.

I listened in more. Some of them argued, saying that they had a good thing here and that they saw no point in leaving. Others disagreed, believing that there was a chance to lead an even better life, one away from my kind.

I have to say I favored the latter, but in the end all they did was choose to disagree. They decided that for now they would leave the discussion for another day, and then they brought us in for a night of their further amusement.

This has given me some hope that the Cyclopes may choose to leave some day, but I know better than to place hope on just some willful chance. I have decided that I cannot stay here another moment longer than necessary. Either I escape, or I die trying.

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**Day 5: **

It has been a few days now. I keep on the look out for any sign of escape, but so far I have yet to discover one. The Cyclopes keep us in their sights constantly during the day. Only at night, when they are sleeping, do any of us have any real privacy. They're not too concerned about any of us escaping, as the cages are enough to keep us contained.

Fortunately, as I mentioned before, my Keeper prefers to have us out in the open, so that we can snuggle up to him like puppies, with him as our big '_caring'_ master.

This gives me an advantage. Sneaking away in the middle of the night will be dangerous, but as long as I am careful and quiet, I should be fine. The only problem is trying to get out of the chains. They are locked and bolted tight, so even if I were an expert lock-pick; it would take me many hours to escape from them.

Still, I cannot give up. I will attempt to pick the lock every night for the rest of my life, if I have to.

I have also learnt some new information in the past few days. You recall from my earlier writings that when I first arrived, there was another woman in here, my cage, with me? I refer to her simply as 'The Madwoman,' for she is beyond sanity.

When I first approached her, she didn't even acknowledge me, and then... I am embarrassed to say this, but then she told me to leave her alone, as she had to practice. When I asked her what she was practicing for, she got down on her knees and began spreading her legs far apart, again and again. She seemed to take great delight at my flushed face, and laughed at my expense.

The poor woman is obviously out of her mind. The other prisoners know not who she is or how long she has been here, but all agree that she has been there the longest, as everyone here before me says she was here long before they came.

She does not appear too much older than myself, but her face, although it possesses a delicate bone structure, is most frightening. It is not ugly per say, but she possesses a haggard look that must come from the time spent in this whorehouse for the Cyclopes. Together with the insane look she gives me, and the shaggy hair, and the weeks not tending to herself, she is a most gruesome sight. She could frighten even the Gorgons.

While she moved herself, I could not help but notice how wide her opening was. It looks as though the Cyclopes have been using her for their pleasure very much so, for it has been stretched beyond norm. She wears nothing but her own skin, and says that soon we will come to accept this fate, and tread naked as our ancestors did. I refused to accept this, and continue to do so. I have been here some time now, and even though the Cyclopes strip me every chance they have, I always re-clothe myself yet again.

Although her antics scare me a lot of times, I cannot help but pity the poor woman. If she has been here the longest, I suppose I cannot expect her to have not lost her mind. Who knows how long she has been prisoner here? A week, a month… or Gods help her, even years?

I have noticed something peculiar about her though… Although she is naked, like most of us, she does wear something around her neck.

It is a gold medallion. Pure gold, as is the chain that it hangs upon. The medallion is in the shape of a circle, with engravings upon it. It bears the engraved picture of a Dog and Vulture attacking a Centaur.

I examined it in her sleep, and know it to be real. I tried asking her where she got it, but every time when I ask her anything, she goes into one of her rants and raves for long minutes. The other prisoners tell me she has always worn the medallion.

It's possible that one of the Cyclopes gave it to her, but that makes no sense, as why would they give any of us anything? And Cyclopes have no real need for gold or other such trinkets, so why take it in the first place? The only times I know of when a Cyclops takes a piece of jewelry, is when they steal it from someone in a battle or duel, like a conquest or victory prize. And when they take it, they never ever part from it.

So if this medallion really is hers, then this tells me that the woman was obviously no peasant. It's highly probable that she must have come from a noble house. After all, these things have attacked some of the cities. That much I know. So maybe her home was one of them?

The Dog and Vulture are symbols of Ares, God of War, and the God of War has always worshipped by soldiers and warriors, so maybe this woman came from a family that was in the army?

Considering this, I find myself pitying the poor wretch more and more. Imagine being a woman of wealth, nobility and power, only to lose it all and become nothing more than a common whore for a race of monsters. No wonder the poor woman is mad.

Aside from myself, she is the second woman who the Cyclopes, including my own Keeper, take the greatest of pleasure in torturing her.

One of the beasts, a hugely muscular, but also a rather robust Cyclops, seems to take the most enjoyment in watching her suffer. One of his most enjoyable acts is having all of his women shackled, while he lays on the floor naked, and haves them bathe him. With his enormous size, he has to have all his women do just half of his body.

The poor woman of whom I speak of, she has to have the worst parts of his body to clean. I will not speak of it, but the Cyclopes finds great laughter in this, and constantly taunts her throughout his bath.

In fact, all of the Cyclopes find one way or another to torture her. As well as the almost constant rapes of her body, and the twisted games that they also play with us, they also use her to do a number of chores for them. Unlike the rest of us who are no more than the beast's playthings, this woman is more than just their whore; she is also their slave.

When one of them is not having her clean the grime from in-between his toes, another has her wash his gigantic loincloth, and one has her pluck his eyebrow. They are constantly jeering her, threatening her with extreme and obscene punishments.

One of them threatens her that if she ever displeases them, he will do to her what his brother did with the one slave girl. With that, he and a number of others laugh out-loud, while he turns and wiggles his bloated backside at her.

When I asked one of the other prisoners what he meant by this, she told me of another girl who had attempted to escape this nightmare. Like me she yearned for escape, and tried to do so in the darkness of night while they all slept. The Cyclopes are all light sleepers, so this girl had to be extremely careful and light on her feet. She had just made it near to the entrance, when one of them turned over in his sleep, sitting right on top of her, crushing her instantly. They did not discover her fate until morning.

The tale reminded me of one that my family joked about, involving an overweight noblewoman and her beloved lap pooch, which met an unfortunate end under a rickety wicker chair. The story with the girl and the Cyclops would have seemed funny, if it weren't for the fact that this had actually happened in the cave in which we live, where the poor girl met the most gruesome fate.

Now the Cyclopes use this tale to warn the other girls, should they ever attempt such an escape. They take particular amusement in threatening the Madwoman. Two of them even came close to actually succeeding, as one held her down while another came just two inches from smothering her with his immense backside.

The closest I've ever come to discovering the reason for their hatred of her, is when one of them said 'This is Payback.' That is all I have learnt, but I also remember that this woman may come from a family of soldiers. Since many good soldiers and warriors have attempted to hunt these beasts down to extinction, and if she does indeed come from a warrior family, then that would be reason enough for them to take their vengeance out on her.

I do not think they will ever actually kill her, as they seem to enjoy torturing her too much. Whoever this woman was in a previous life, she must have done something truly offensive to have angered these creatures so, for not one of them ever gives her a moment of peace.

The news of this unusual but grim punishment has, I admit, given me pause for worry, but I nonetheless remain vigilant in my determination for freedom. The only other course of action is for me to remain here permanently, and that is an option I will never even consider.

I will continue to attempt breaking my metal bonds in the coming nights. For now, I pray to the Gods to give me strength.

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**Day 26: **

Days have turned into weeks. I apologize for not documenting my days, but truthfully nothing ever really changes. Plus, with the amount of time that the beasts spend with me, and the exhaustion I feel at the end of each day, I find it hard to find time to write.

My days spent with the Cyclops are, as I originally wrote, filled with lust by him, with which he satisfies himself by having us entertain him. I won't go into all that detail again, as the subject disgusts me.

I do have more information, but alas it is not good.

As previously reported, I continuously attempted to free myself of the metal chains that bond me in the night. Lock-picking is nowhere near as easy as the thieves and pickpockets of the nation would have us believe. Worse still, I fear my endless nights of attempted lock picking are becoming most strenuous on my body, as I have been feeling unwell of late.

But in the end, after endless nights of trying, I finally succeeded.

I eventually successfully removed the chains from my ankles and wrists. None of the Cyclopes, including my Keeper, seemed to notice, and remained sleeping.

It was the one and only time, in all my gruesome weeks here with these creatures, that I truly felt alive and giddy with delight. For the first time in ages, I was so close to freedom that I could almost taste it.

I remembered the tale the other girls told me of the one whom almost escaped, but ended up getting sat on. Even now when I think of that tale, I cannot help but giggle, until I remember that the girl in question no doubt did not find it amusing.

With the story refreshed in my mind, I made absolutely certain to stay clear away from all of the resting Cyclopes, particularly their rear ends.

I tiptoed with absolute care, praying that none heard me. As I stepped, I looked back upon the other girls and women who share my fate. I had considered rescuing them, but I would need swords to break through the bars of the cages, and I could not waste any more hours in picking the locks on the chains.

I know what you are all probably thinking about me, and you are probably right. I was a coward to leave them, but there was nothing I could have done. I had very little time, and literally nothing to help me. The only thing I could think of was that when I got home, I would inform the men of my village, and they would attempt a rescue.

With that in mind, I walked onward to my freedom. I heard the sound of waves crashing against the beach. It turns out I was right in my earlier assessment; we were indeed by the ocean.

I had almost forgotten what the ocean sounded and looked like. I had spent so much time inside the caves with my oppressors that my memories had faded.

I can still remember standing there at the entrance and exit from the cave. Never before had the sea looked, sounded or smelt so beautiful. I could even taste the salt of the water on my lips. To some, this was nothing more than the simple view of the seaside, but to me… it was freedom. No one could ever understand, unless they too had spent the last few weeks trapped in a cave with no one but distressed women and lustful monsters for company.

I do not know how long I was standing there. It could have been no more than a few seconds, or perhaps even a few hours. However long I was there though, I was there long enough for one of the Cyclopes to wake up and notice me.

I just stood there, instead of running for my life, and the next thing I knew…a large hand had grabbed me, crushing me heartlessly, and I found myself gazing up into a single large and fearful eye.

The Cyclops who caught me was neither my Keeper nor any of the others whom I had noticed over the weeks. Some Cyclopes come and go, so it is possible that this one was new, but there was one thing I noticed immediately about this one Cyclops… Though all Cyclopes tend to possess a look of lust, arrogance and simple vanity in their one eye, this one though seemed to possess only one emotion…_rage_.

He looked at me with something that could be described as nothing less than pure hatred.

Since coming here, I have feared the Cyclopes often, but I knew they wouldn't kill me, as they enjoy me too much. But for the first time in many a week…I actually feared for my life, for this Cyclops held no lust for me, or any wicked glint or such in his eye. He only held a darkness, which I could see and yet not see; a darkness that consumes my very soul.

"What imbecile let this Human get away?" the dark Cyclops had bellowed, waking up all the others in the cave.

"Huh?" I heard my Keeper moan and grunt, as he moved about on the floor, my cellmates squealing as they narrowly escaped him rolling onto them. "What is it?"

The stranger Cyclops gave him a sneer. I found this odd, as despite their faults and my dislike of them, I have never known any of the Cyclopes to be hostile or contemptuous of each other. They all seem to enjoy each other's company thoroughly, most likely because of their dire few numbers. But this new one seems to hold no spirit of brotherhood towards his fellow kind.

"Is this one yours?" the stranger said, as he held me out in his hand. He took no care as he handled me, almost crushing my arm in the process.

My Keeper was more disoriented than anything, as he came over. As he rubbed the sleep from his one eye, he gave me a curious look, seemingly confused over my predicament, wondering how I came to be in the stranger's possession.

"How did she get there?" he had asked, to which the stranger gave a huge snort and looked at him distastefully.

"How in Tartarus do you think she got here?" he bellowed at my Keeper. The rage he held in his eye then would have been enough to halt a whole herd of Cyclopes.

My Keeper yawned, but still did not show any concern for my escape. Another thing I learned about Cyclopes is their tendency to quickly forget any of their problems. They tend to concern themselves only with pleasure. Any problems that should arise, they blank out from their minds.

"These things happen," he told the stranger, and reached for me.

The stranger however was not quick to relinquish me. He held onto me, still crushing me in his hand.

"What makes you think you can still have this woman?" he told my Keeper. "Perhaps I should keep her for myself?"

My Keeper lost his playful boy-look at that moment, and looked at the stranger with something akin to hostility in his eye.

The stranger did not take any notice, however, and looked at me intensely. The look he gave me was close to the usual lust-filled craving that my Keeper and all other Cyclopes gave me, but the one that this Cyclops gave me was… _darker_. Somehow, I had the feeling that the craving he had was not plain old lust, but something else.

"Perhaps I should take her," the stranger continued, although he seemed to be speaking more to me now. "Maybe I should see what you find so enticing about her. Take my weapon and shove it… "

My Keeper then gave out a huge roar, his glare sending shivers through me. I had not seen him so intense and full of fury since the night of my beloved's death.

"You will give me back my property now, Polyphemus!" he bellowed. "You have no right to her!"

The stranger, who I now know to be called Polyphemus, glared at my Keeper, but then finally relented and handed me over to him. But not before giving me one last longing look.

"We'll have our fun some other time," he told me quietly, his voice but a whisper and as cold as ice, like a snake.

Never before had I been so relieved to be back in my Keeper's arms. I still hate him with a vengeance, but for the first time I felt like I truly needed to be with him, if only for his protection.

This Polyphemus has given me cause for fear. All the other Cyclopes do is threaten me with some obscene punishment, built specifically for their own amusement. This one, however, I am terrified for my life.

I must sleep now.

000000000000000000000

**Day 27: **

I have nothing new to write about today, but I do wish to continue with more of what happened last night after my Keeper returned me to my cage. I didn't want to risk any of them finding my journal, as I was watched closely until the early hours of the morning.

After my failed attempt at freedom, my Keeper had me placed back into my cage. As far as I know, he intends to keep me in here now during the night, at least until they find some stronger chains.

The way he treated me when he put me in here, you would think he was talking to an infant girl. He called me 'naughty' and that I was bad, and if I did such a thing again, he would take me over his knee and give me a good spanking. Though personally, judging by the light in his eye, I think he would do that anyway.

But his fever was quickly dampened when one other of the Cyclops came by, and he called him over to talk. Being so close, and since Cyclops have a tendency to shout out loud, I heard everything perfectly. What I heard has done nothing to ease my nerves.

"We must do something about Polyphemus!" my Keeper told his companion. He seemed most anxious, whereas the other one seemed to just shrug it off.

"Oh don't be so high-strung, brother," the second Cyclops told him. "So Polyphemus made a pass at your woman. It's not as if you haven't done the same thing with the rest of our women."

"That is different," my Keeper defended himself, although how a Cyclops can defend himself from flirting with other men's wives is beyond me. "I may flaunt my affections openly. That is true. But I have never once acted on them."

"And you believe Polyphemus would do so?"

"I am convinced of it." My Keeper actually seemed concerned for my welfare. "You know it is forbidden for one Cyclops to vent his love on another Cyclops's woman. But Polyphemus seems to show no regard for our laws and traditions. In fact, he seems to enjoy bending them to breaking point."

"Don't you think you are over-reacting?" the second one tried to calm my Keeper, but even he seemed to be accepting my Keeper's logic.

"Am I?" my Keeper persisted. "When Polyphemus first came to us, we took him in as one of us. We even gave him his share of women and wine. But what pray tell has he ever given or done for us?"

The second simply shook his head. "Just because he doesn't join us on hunts or such, doesn't make him a bad Cyclops."

"Maybe not, but what about the women he's taken?"…

It was here that my interest was fully focused.

… "In the past few weeks, he has taken over one dozen of the Human's females," the Cyclops sounded regretful when he said this. "We all agreed that we would each take seven girls, no more, no less. If we take too many of their mates, the Humans will redouble their efforts to destroy us. We are already in enough trouble as it is."

The second snorted. "I think you will find that the Humans are redoubling their efforts every day, brother. Whether or not we take more of their _rations_."

"Maybe, but we don't want to antagonize them any further now, do we?" Then he looked solemnly at him. "Then there are the women that Polyphemus took. Out of the dozen women he took the previous week, only two of them remain."

My blood ran cold then.

"Well," the second said unsurely. "You have to admit, it's hard to stay in control with these girls. I mean; a female Cyclops would have no trouble with us. But with these girls, we have to stay in complete control throughout the entire courting. Not many Cyclopes can do that. You can hardly blame this guy for losing control when he's enjoying himself."

My Keeper frowned. "It's what he's doing to enjoy himself that worries me," he said slowly. "I tell you, the way he keeps to himself in the shadows, the silence he creates… It's damn unnatural is what it is!" He looked seriously at the second. "When have you ever known any of our kind to be quiet and still? We're warriors, we fight, we drink, we make merry… and we do not speak, we _shout_!" he bellowed.

The second tried to calm him. "Peace, brother," he said calmingly. "Our battles with the Humans have not gone well for any of us. We all have our tales of tragedy. He no doubt has his own to share someday. Many of us find it hard to cope with the loss. He is most likely dealing with his in the only way he knows how."

My Keeper just shrugged grudgingly. "Still seems damn unnatural if you ask me," he grumbled.

"Anyway, why are you so uptight all of a sudden?" the second suddenly asked. "You've never really cared when one of us has made a pass at any of your women before… at least… not your usual women." He suddenly had a wicked glint in his eye.

My Keeper seemed to blush, as his skin went a darker shade of green. "I'm sure I know not what you mean, _brother_/"

The second just grinned at him. "I've seen you with all your females, brother. But out of all of them, you seem to be more focused on that one fair-skinned one. Seems like every time I see you, you're playing with her."

My Keeper just strutted out his chest, looking proud. "She is a fine specimen of Human womanhood, wouldn't you say? Is it a sacrilege to value something so rare and enticing?"

The second just looked at him oddly. "You know, I am inclined to believe that you may be in love with this girl."

Now my Keeper did definitely blush, whereas my cheeks just went red with fury and disgust.

"You are out of your mind," my Keeper laughed. "Me, in love with a Human? Absurd! The woman gives my groin a good workout, as I do hers, and she's good and strong for a breeding partner. That's it, nothing more."

"Whatever you say," the second said, still grinning, and with that he left.

My Keeper turned around to check on me, and the others who were in my cage with me. I had by then quickly lain down, pretending to slumber.

I could feel his breath on me, as he bent his head low. It was like a warm breeze blowing on me, with the exception of the smell. He has a rather bad breath that seems to comprise of wine and meats. It is particularly foul first thing in the morning.

He soon left, and I dared to open an eye and watch him as he walked back over to his sleeping corner. For once, he lad left me and all his other 'mates' in our cage for the night, so at least I can sleep without freezing to death.

But I find no rest tonight. I had within my reach true freedom, and I failed. I may never live that down; for I don't doubt that the Cyclopes will keep an extra watch over me from now on.

But that is not the only thing that keeps me up. From across the cavern, I see the Cyclops I now know to be called Polyphemus. He is looking straight at me. I do not know if he knows I am awake, but he doesn't seem to care either way. He keeps his eye straight on me, and then he takes his right hand and fondles himself.

I keep my head turned away form him, clutching myself in fear. Again I go through one night without much sleep.

000000000000000000000

**Day 34:**

I have something unusual to write about tonight...

With all that has occurred to me since my abduction and almost constant violations, I had thought the Cyclopes to be nothing more than mindless savages. My Keeper has proven that to me more than enough. But today... I saw something more of the Cyclopes.

The day had stretched on with nothing unusual happening. It had been a day like any other day. We women were awoken, fed, and then used for the Cyclops amusement. Nothing new.

I have not seen the one called Polyphemus today. He was very angry with my Keeper the other night, so he may have left for the day perhaps, possibly to calm his nerves. I find myself intensely relieved at this bit of news. But anyway…

… My sister cellmates and I were just about to be taken to our cages so that we could be given our mid-day meal, when... one of the Cyclopes came into the cavern, carrying a little girl. She couldn't have been no more than eight years old!

I held my breath, as I laid my eyes upon her. I couldn't believe it! Were they going to add this child to their collection of kidnapped mates? I knew there was no way she would survive, if they did. She was too young and small. They would split her apart.

Or maybe she was just here for their simple amusement? Maybe they were going to use her for target practice, or something like that? My mind came up with all sorts of possibilities, as the Cyclops carried her in.

My Keeper stood up to greet him, as he approached. I expected the usual loud greeting, followed by him asking what new prize had he claimed tonight. What I didn't expect him to say was...

"Is the child all right?"

I could not believe he had asked that. In all the time since my arrival here, not once have I heard any of the Cyclopes ask that question to either me, or any of the other prisoners. None of them have ever shown any compassion or concern for any of us before, yet here they were now showing it for this child.

I listened in, as they spoke. The one who had brought the child in, he said that he had found the girl out in the woods. From the look of her, he deduced that she was suffering from malnutrition. It looked as though she hadn't eaten in a long time.

My Keeper took the girl gently in his one huge hand. From the way he acted, he seemed to genuinely care for the young girl's well being. Gone was his constant look of smugness, arrogance, and vanity. Instead, all I saw on his face was a look of genuine concern.

As I looked, I noticed the other Cyclopes stand up and come near to where my Keeper was holding the girl. One of them reached into one of the cages, taking out a blanket, which he then draped over my Keeper's hand, covering the child, to keep her warm.

Another one of them came up closer, examining the child closely, while another went and retrieved some water from a large pot, holding his cupped hand close to the child's mouth, spilling some of the water onto her mouth.

"She can't stay here," one of them had said. The others were quick to agree. They discussed what to do, and eventually they came to decide that they should take the child to one of the nearest villages. Someone there would find her and see to her recovery.

I could not believe the change in their attitudes. Only a short while ago, this whole place had been filled with the wild boisterous laughter of drunken Cyclopes, each going about their business, as they amused themselves with drink, food, song, dance, and mating with their chosen Human females.

Now, all they could seem to think about was the health and safety of that poor young girl. Each of them volunteered to take the girl to the nearest village right at that very minute.

I knew long before then that the Cyclopes were always hesitant to leave their cavern. Because of their size, Cyclops were soon seen and attacked, even if they left at night, but if anyone of them were to leave during the day...they might as well be selling their souls to Hades.

Yet, even as I remembered this, I saw no hesitation on their part, no concern for their own safety. All I saw were these giant mountains of muscle, each practically tripping over their own feet, as they struggled to get help for this little girl, a little girl who was not of their race, and was in fact a child of their enemies.

As my Keeper passed by my cage, I called out to him and asked "Why?"

The Cyclops did not understand me at first, but then noticed me eyeing the young girl. I asked him again why he was helping a child who was from the race that his own people were at war with?

The Cyclops just shrugged at me, and said... "She's a child, and she needs help. Doesn't matter what people she's from." With that, he turned and left.

Another one of the Cyclopes, a young one whom I think couldn't have been older than 16, was soon chosen to go take the girl to the village. Many opted to take his place, but he was adamant. He said he was the youngest and fastest, so he was ideal...

It has been several hours now since the young Cyclops left, and still he has not returned. For once, we women have been blessed with a quiet night, as the Cyclopes have not been in the mood for our 'company.'

Finally, one of the elder Cyclopes stands before his crowd of brethren. He looks them all square in the eye, and states what they all suspect to be true...the young Cyclops obviously did not make it. The people of the village must have seen him, were taken with fear, and attacked.

For the next few hours the Cyclopes all stood in a circle, humming a low tune. I did not know then, but the tune was that of a song they sing to honor the dead. They did so to wish the young Cyclops's spirit a good journey.

When I first came here, the Cyclops's death would have given me cause for celebration, and I would have gladly welcomed his untimely end. Even now, some of the women in my cage whisper excitedly amongst themselves, overjoyed at the monster's destruction.

But for me...for some reason, I do not take pleasure in this Cyclops's death, as I would have done long ago. The following day, things returned to normal, as the Cyclopes are once more their usual boisterous selves, as they constantly flaunt their bodies at us. Yet despite all this, I cannot help but remember the looks of worry and consideration they all wore on their faces, when that little girl was brought into their domain.

There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of what my people have said about the Cyclopes is true. My time with them is proof enough of that, but...if these creatures are truly monsters, then why were they so concerned with saving the life of one insignificant little girl?

I find myself unable to find an answer.

000000000000000000000

**Day 37: **

I look up at him with fear each time he passes me. Even though I haven't made any further attempt so far to escape, he still regards me with contempt. The way his eye stares at me with loathing frightens me.

I refer of course to the Cyclops who caught me and prevented my escape nearly two weeks ago.

Some of the women have been talking with the others in their cages, and have learned a few things about the odd Cyclops in this clan. They say his name is Polyphemus, a Cyclops from the east. Beyond that, they don't much about him, even less than the Madwoman. But one thing's for certain, he had even less love for us Humans than I do for his race.

He doesn't join in any of the regular activities that amuses the other Cyclopes so with us women. If anything, he prefers to distance himself away from us, what he calls 'Human filth.' He has mated with a number of us since arriving, and that was the last we saw of them.

I never knew the women he took. It is believed that he was unable to control himself in his lust, or he simply wanted to hurt them, and ended up killing them in the process.

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the women are now becoming with child. I didn't think this would be possible, considering the major differences in our two species, but their conditions are now undeniable.

I find myself growing more and more worried, and scared for my life. If these women can become with child, then what's stopping me? The only other woman to avoid being impregnated is the Madwoman. I would ask her how or why this is so, but we all know what her response would be, and I have no ear to listen to anymore of her rants.

Each time Polyphemus passes my cage, he stares at me intensely, and I grow cold with fear. I can almost sense what he wants to do to me, and it is nothing like what my Keeper and the other Cyclopes would do.

I believe he wants to kill me… or at least torture me to death. He has no love in his stare, nor any lust, or any such emotion.

How can so much hate exist in one being? I know not how.

000000000000000000000

**Day 40: **

As warned, I cannot always write all my days down, as I do not wish the Cyclopes to find my journal lest they destroy it.

For the past few days, Polyphemus has been unable to tear his stare away from me. Everywhere I turn, no matter how many times, he is always there watching me. His eye is always over my shoulder, not allowing me to take the journal out. My own paranoia left me even unable to be in the vicinity of the journal's hiding spot.

I suppose the other Cyclopes may not destroy the journal had they discover it, they may merely laugh over of the idea, I suppose. I do not think any of them can even read anyway…but Polyphemus, had he discovered it, he would destroy it… right before he would destroy me.

My paranoia is so heavy and binding, I figure if he learns I am hiding something, he would tear my very cage apart to find it. I try to shake him off, and try to act as if I do not see him. I do not glance at my journal's secret spot; I just stare, just look into the thin air and walk aimlessly like a child trotting through a field of flowers…nothing is affecting me. I am unaware of my surroundings. I try to shake his eye gaze off me like a farmer shakes off the hot afternoon sun bearing down on his back.

I pray that this would shake his eye off me, but he is very much aware of my awareness of him. It does not shake him. My nervousness and evasiveness makes his stare even more confining than the bars of the cage.

The Cyclops Polyphemus, I am sorry to say that both my Keeper and my worst predictions about him have come to pass.

I had hoped that we were wrong.

Even my Keeper has noticed it, and he constantly tells him to cease, as he finds his staring at us disconcerting, especially when he and I are… _intimate_.

My Keeper takes a different initiative than I when dealing with Polyphemus. Polyphemus does not pay a bit of attention to my Keeper unless addressed by him. However, whenever my Keeper is in the vicinity of the cage, bending over to check on us, feeding us, or even just passing by, Polyphemus's head immediately snaps up, and the eye widens.

I felt very much that my Keeper was not aware of Polyphemus's vigilance until recently.

One day, as my Keeper was bending over to us, I noticed his eye was not on us (which is quite shocking, and I noticed it immediately); instead he was looking between his legs, just glancing occasionally at us as he reached for a slave. In between the space of his legs I could see Polyphemus sitting against the wall, picking at his toenails and teeth with the splintered thighbone of a deer.

My Keeper picked up a brunette slave girl who was with us only for a month, but Polyphemus gave no reaction to her— he then picked an older looking woman just showing silver streaks in her hair, but still of child bearing age—nothing—then he reached for me…

Polyphemus's eye widened, and his shoulders immediately grew taught. My Keeper's eyebrow cocked. Almost in humor, he slowly etched his hand away from me, and to another woman—nothing—he worked his hand over to me again—Polyphemus's eye widened again—the hand flew over and pulled some moss that was growing off the cage bars—Polyphemus slacked.

My Keeper shut the top of the cage, grumbled something, and left us be. The other women chattered like chickens amongst themselves, wondering what had just happened while I, standing alone, and staring at the stonewall—was completely aware of what had happened. Without the Keeper protecting me, I was once again aware of Polyphemus's glare on my back.

The rest of the day passed by slowly, always with him staring at me. My Keeper knows now that he lusts after me, but still he does nothing. If ever I needed anymore convincing that none of us, least of all me, have any meaning for him, I don't now.

The shackles on my feet are now as tight as ropes. They cut deep into my skin. My Keeper takes no chances now.

Night falls, and our Keepers put us to sleep, but even then I could still feel Polyphemus's stare bearing down on me, even though he was asleep… I couldn't take it any more!

Lashing out with any sanity I had left, I grabbed the nearest sharp object I could find, which turned out to be one of the Cyclopes' own toenails of all things. I struck it down on my chains, fiddling about with the lock, trying to remember what I did the first night that undid the first set of chains. Fortunately, luck was on my side, and I was able to release my chains in but a fraction of the time that I did the first one, although it didn't do my feet any favors. Both my feet bleed from the tightness of the chains, and the way they were immediately pulled off, but I just shrugged off the pain.

My chains came loose, and I was free once more… I took extra care this time, in case any more Cyclopes were awake, and I made even extra sure that this time I would not allow my mind to wander as it did before.

I crawled out through the bars in my cage, limped across the stony floors of the great cavern, tiptoeing past every snoring Cyclops that rolled over in my path, until at last I reached the cave entrance.

I took no time now to marvel at the outside world's freedom and beauty, and after making sure that none of the Cyclopes was awake and behind me… I ran.

I ran as fast as I could despite the pain in my feet, and the sharp rocks of the mountains, the soft sand that made me feel like I was running with one of the Cyclops on my back, and then the prickly needle-like pines of the nearby forest growth. I just kept on running, not wanting to give any of them a chance to catch me again. I ran for so long, I was sure that I was finally free, that I had managed to escape them at long last… I was wrong again.

"Enjoy your run?" a voice called at me from up above.

I think at that moment, I would have gladly broken down and cried myself to death, but at that moment I was more afraid for my life. If it had been my Keeper, that would have been unbearable. But who should find me…but Polyphemus.

I have to go, someone's coming…

000000000000000000000

Day 41: 

Forgive my abrupt exit, but writing and keeping my journal secret is hard work when you have Cyclopes making passing rounds over your cage every few minutes.

Anyway, like I was saying…

Polyphemus stood over me grinning. In his hand he held a burning brand; it lit behind his head like the halo of Helios. From a distance that small brand would appear as nothing more than a star. I don't know how long he had been following me… probably since I first got out of my cage… either way, now we'll never know.

Polyphemus poked at me with his big toe. He said that I was real pretty, and that he could see why my Keeper valued me so. I wanted to run again, but I knew it would be pointless, as a Cyclops can easily outdistance any Human with just one long step of their impossibly long legs.

He told me I was beautiful again. He foams at the mouth like a rapid dog that had not fed in weeks, or like mold that has fed and spoiled the best of food, and is still hungry to spoil more delicacy. Yes…he looked at me like a rapid, mold-covered dog.

In my escape from the Cyclopes, I had run to a stony outcropping. It was large and riddled with cracks and crevices and bushy, woody plants. Perhaps if I inched back I could hide in a crevice…perhaps…

I slowly inched back. Polyphemus did not reach to snatch me up. Instead, he reveled, he bathed in my fear—my fear and the thoughts that I could not expect—the possibilities I could provide him since I could not escape him—he seemed lax, very lax, drugged in sadistic pride and possibilities.

I inched back.

He stepped forward.

I inched back again. The rocks were now right behind me. I could feel their rough surfaces, almost rubbing my hands raw, but I was thankful for that feeling upon my flesh. The Goddess Diana must have taken pity on me, for on that very moment when he prepared to poke me with his toe again, the moon lit on a crack in the stones—just wide enough for me.

I bolted. He stubbed his toe on the hard stone. It slowed him down, giving me just enough time to squeeze into the crack.

Much to my fear, the crack was much shallower than I had previously thought. Painfully…the air was squeezed from my lungs, and the walls crushed my ribcage as I desperately attempted to push myself as deeply down the fissure as possible.

I was reminded of the pettiness of the Gods. This was merely a game for them. I was nothing more to them than an ant is to a child…a nothing, until sadistic cruel desires arise.

I pushed on, as Polyphemus scratched at the fissure. I screamed, as his hand pulled chunks of rock away from the outcropping, as if he was crumbling cheese. I screeched and screeched until the rocks that I squeezed between squeezed the air from my lungs.

Perhaps if I were lucky, I thought, Polyphemus may cause a rockslide…perhaps I would be crushed, perhaps I could escape and he be crushed. Either one was a better option than if he managed to dig me out.

I looked up, just glancing to the sky from the crack in the outcropping, it was only a scratch of blue, half blocked out with the edges of stones and the roots of plants. I saw a few stars and prayed to the Gods for any option other than the one closing in on me.

Polyphemus's fingers scraped against my ankle. I managed a startled screech and began to climb upwards, using roots like ropes. Polyphemus still struggled below me. My fingertips felt the moist blades of grass—like silk under my fingertips! Oh Gods, how long has it been since I felt something other than the skin of a Cyclops, dirt and stone?

A root I had held onto came free off the earth. The sliver of the sky was blocked by clumps of dirt as they tumbled down on me, like some ironic shooting starts. I felt the dust in my eyes and my mouth.

I fell.

I did not strike stone nor crack my head. Polyphemus managed to excavate enough stone to put his entire shoulder and arm into the fissure. He grabbed me around the waist. It was so quick and so sudden that I did not even drop the forsaken bush that had got into the predicament.

"You think you can get away from me!" he exclaimed, shaking me like how a baby shakes a rattle. I felt my bones shake like dry beans. "They all think they could get away from me. No, no, no… "

He licked the side of my face. Licked away the blood and dust, but leaving a layer of an even dirtier substance that burned at the cuts on my face. "You'll forgive me if I'm a little rough," he smirked. "I don't have the greatest of patience when it comes to your kind."

I whimpered.

"You're mine, all mine," he whispered almost childishly. "I have to have you. Someone has to keep you from running. Maybe I'll break your legs right off, break 'em right _apart_!"

He hissed softly into my ear. I felt his thumb rub against my legs. He let the burning brand in his one hand illuminate the scene.

"Break 'em right apart," he whispered, giggling softly, and pressed his thumb down on my legs. "Right apart."

"NO!" I screamed and swung the bush towards his face. It caught on the brand and immediately burst into flame, flashed like lightening. I struck him in the eye.

He screamed like a baby—like a monstrous lamb close to slaughter.

False dittany. It was a rare plant in my homelands; occasional bushes pop up now and then on the hillsides, especially among the stones. Many people would claim it is dittany; the cure-all herb from Crete, but they were easy to tell it apart. Any heat or a mere spark would set the bush ablaze like tinder, and the bush, mostly unaffected, would grow back the next summer. A thick resin like fat covers the plant that burns. It smells very much like lemon balm.

Now I was aware of the layer of grease on my hands, I thought it was blood and sweat. The air wafted with the scent of lemons tinged with burning flesh.

Polyphemus did not drop me. He dropped the brand and his trampling feet put it out. IF it burned him, I did not know. He was more concerned with his eye. He fell, and I fell with him. He clutched his eye with one hand and dropped me when he went to clutch it with two.

I heard the sounds of the Cyclopes from the cave. His howling could have awakened the dead within the very ground. I slid out of his hand and raced back to the fissure. It was much shallower than before, but the stones that Polyphemus tossed aside provided me with many excellent places to hide away.

Soon the sounds of many feet mixed with the agonizing howls of Polyphemus.

"Dear Zeus! What fate has be fallen here?" the eldest of the Cyclopes exclaimed.

"I bet he was trying to crush badgers again!" the youngest snapped.

Two other Cyclopes helped Polyphemus sit up. He was lying on the ground kicking and screaming like a babe throwing a fit while they all stood around.

"What has happened to you, brother Polyphemus?" a Cyclops asked. "Have Human hunters done this to you?"

Polyphemus growled in response. I eased out a bit to see what was going on. Polyphemus still clutched his eye, but his fits had ended.

"Hooo—hooo—hoooman!" he snarled. "Human!"

The Cyclopes growled in response. A foot stepped down only inches away from my hands. Startled, I squeaked like a mouse. Suddenly a face was looking down at me.

My Keeper…his face twisted in a mix of surprise, shock, and confusion. For several long moments he kept this expression on his face, until he put two and two together. And when he did, his face shifted into worry. He looked over his shoulder at the other Cyclopes. His hand reached down and he pushed me back into my hiding spot.

Polyphemus was starting to sound more and more cognitive. He exclaimed, "Woman!"

"Woman?" the Cyclopes said in unison.

"HIS WOMAN!" he screeched like a hoarse harpy. "The pale woman struck me in the eye with a burning bran when she attempted to escape again!"

My Keeper shrugged his shoulders. "But my woman is locked away in her cage, like everyone else's women. I have been extra careful, making sure she is safely locked away. Had I not, she would have escaped much earlier."

"Yes," a Cyclops piped up. "I saw her fast asleep in the cage before I went to bed."

"Me, too," another answered. "She was snoozing like a babe."

"Very soundly asleep," an older Cyclops added. "He must be going crazy from the pain. Come, let's get him back to the cave."

It took the two largest of the Cyclopes to pick him up, as they struggled to carry him back. I do not suppose it was because he was so large, as they seemed more than strong enough. I think it was because he kept trying to wrench free, seemingly to find me if he could, to point me out, to rip me to shreds, either one. My Keeper remained by the stones in which I hid, just watching the group. Everyone else was concerned with Polyphemus.

"Come here now!" my Keeper ordered. His voice was nervous, tinged with fear. "For your sake, you better come here now!"

I slowly eased out, and he snatched me up just as someone asked what he was doing. He slid me under his arm, pressing me into his armpit. His arm pressed into me, keeping me from falling down to the ground, and kept me hidden from the other Cyclopes. There was plenty of space for me to breathe…however this was not the air, in which I would have liked to breathe. I fought the urge to vomit. Does this creature not know of scented balms?

"I saw something move!" he answered.

"Really?"

"It was a badger," my Keeper stated.

"Told ya," the one Cyclops remarked to another. "That's what he was doing."

We made it back to the cave not a moment too soon. The copious amount of sweat was working like olive oil and threatening to squeeze me from my hiding spot under his arm.

The others were concerned with Polyphemus and worked him to the back of the cave where they sat him down. They poured water on his eye to clean it, and applied herbs and salts.

My Keeper put me back in my cage, and came strolling over to check on Polyphemus's state. Despite my immense disappointment of once again not escaping, I was actually kind of relieved to be back…for at least here I was safe from the mad Cyclops.

"Like I told you before," my Keeper told him calmly. "She's fast asleep in her cage."

Polyphemus roared. "YOU LIE!"

My Keeper simply sneered at him, telling him to go check for himself, which only made him angrier; since it was painfully obvious he could not see nor will ever be able to see.

A few of the other Cyclopes came instead, looking in on me, and confirmed what my Keeper said was true.

"IT'S A TRICK!" Polyphemus roared, refusing to accept when he was hearing. "I KNOW WHAT I SAW! I'D RECOGNISE THIS BLOATED FOOL'S WHORE ANYWHERE…"

At this point, my Keeper became angry, and asked him just why he would know me anywhere? Would it be perhaps from all the spying he had been doing on me lately, like the number of times he had caught him staring whenever my Keeper and I were trying to spend some time together alone… unless of course he hadn't been staring at me, and had in fact been staring at my Keeper's hide.

If Polyphemus hadn't been mad before, he _definitely_ was then. The other Cyclopes had to hold him back before he launched himself at my Keeper.

They exchanged insults for a while; one even involving my Keeper blowing loud kisses and shout "woo-hoo" at him, just to further enrage him, which it did.

Some of the Cyclopes were trying to be fair to Polyphemus, but I could tell by their looks and the sound of their voices that he was starting to push them to their limits.

"The poor fellow," one of them said. "The healers won't know for sure until they removed the bandages in the morning, but… it doesn't look like Polyphemus will ever see again."

Despite the cold fear I was feeling… a slow smile crept over my face.

"Tell us exactly what happened," the eldest asked him again, but Polyphemus just repeated what he had said before about me. It was clear that no one believed him, as how could I have run all the way there and back here again in so short a time? And even if I could have, why would I return here?

But Polyphemus refused to relinquish his tale, and continued to accuse me, and even started accusing my Keeper of aiding me… something that was correct, but of course no one was listening to him.

"Polly's just been going after his badgers again," the younger Cyclops said again. Unfortunately, he said it when he was only a few meters away from Polyphemus's keen hearing ears.

Polyphemus reached out with his one hand, grabbing the younger one by his throat. He applied such pressure to the poor youngster's throat that his eye looked like it would pop from his socket. The youngster's face turned from sea green to pine green to night blue, looking very much like a bloated blueberry.

"Let him go!" the oldest of the Cyclopes exclaimed. He was the first to take action, while all others stood in shock, perhaps they did not expect such violence against their own kind.

The women in the cages shrieked like chickens, while the Cyclopes just sucked in and blew out air like whales.

He swung his hand at Polyphemus's elbow, expecting to perhaps jolt the young Cyclops from Polyphemus's grip. By the expression in his face when he struck Polyphemus's elbow, and the way his elbow bounced off the other's elbow, I suspect it was like the very cave walls.

His attempt was not in vain. Polyphemus was startled enough for him to loosen his grip a mere finger width. The young Cyclops took over and bit into Polyphemus's hand with his first gasp of air. He dropped to the ground, and was quickly dragged away by two of the meeker Cyclopes. The others tried to both confront and calm down Polyphemus, whose fist was raised in the air and moved around angrily, blindly searching for another victim. The Cyclopes formed a circle around him, just standing outside his strike zone.

"Calm down, Polyphemus! The young one is foolish, and yes he did deserve to be put in his place. He's quiet now, so you can put your fists down," a Cyclops said, stepping toward, both hands gesturing for him to calm down. Polyphemus, however, was now blind, so he did not see the gesture, and he was too angered to listen.

He punched the other Cyclops in the face, sending the Cyclops back like he was nothing more than a ball. He hit the wall with such force that gravel rained down on the cages, causing more screaming to arise from the cages and adding to the confusion.

Some Cyclopes backed to the rear of the caves to avoid Polyphemus's onslaught. Growing up in a farming village, it is safe to say that it is wise to avoid an animal in pain that has one of its senses dulled, especially if it thrashing about. Others raced to their cages to protect their women. A few remained.

"Polyphemus!" my Keeper exclaimed. "You need to control your temper or you're going to get us all killed! It's bad enough we have to deal with Humans trying to kill us every day of our lives!"

Polyphemus hissed like an adder, and stormed up to my Keeper, staggering as he did so. My Keeper did not shrink down or roll away like the others. Instead he stood on his tiptoes, making himself even taller and glared down at Polyphemus.

"You protect her! You damn well know what she did! You sit here and defend that wench! Look what's she done to me!" Polyphemus exclaimed, gesturing to the blood seeping from the bandage around his head. He thrust his finger into my Keeper's chest. "Who do you think you are talking about Humans killing us, and yet you are defending one?"

"Who are you to strike at your fellow Cyclopes?" my Keeper responded.

Polyphemus lashed out. My Keeper managed to avoid the brunt of the strike. Polyphemus grazed my Keeper's face and hit the wall. He screamed. My Keeper immediately rushed the dark Cyclops. Their forms struck the ground by the cages, and the cages actually jumped. More gravel crashed down. This time both the Cyclopes and women were rained down upon.

Polyphemus did not need his sight in a fight as close as this one. Soon, he had the upper hand on my Keeper, and began to bang his head into the dirt. I saw the eye of my Keeper rattle with each hit.

My Keeper could not get a grip on Polyphemus. He had both his hands on Polyphemus's shoulder to keep him from striking him. Polyphemus could only continue cracking his head against the ground. My Keeper managed to get enough strength to roll them both over, and they kept rolling until they were at the cave mouth.

Polyphemus looked up, probably because he could smell the ocean air. My Keeper brought his knee up into Polyphemus's stomach, and Polyphemus loosened his grip. My Keeper threw Polyphemus off of himself and quickly stood up. Polyphemus was attempting to crawl back up on all fours, gasping like a dog or a wounded horse.

His hand soon slipped, and his entire right arm and shoulder was thrown over the cliff. He could not see what to grab onto to save himself, and soon his upper body sent him sprawling over the cliff.

There was a crack.

No scream, no moan.

Just a crack, like a hand slapping a back, or a chunk of meat slapped onto a butcher's slab… just a crack on the stones below.

Then the soft broom sweeps of the ocean, as the waves washed everything away.

I must go…

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Day 42: 

After the death of Polyphemus, the other Cyclopes held a memorial service for him, paying their respects for their fallen dark brother. None of them blamed my Keeper for his death, as they had all been witness to it, and knew there had been no other way.

As for me, my Keeper has yet to reveal the truth about my escape, and I do not think he ever will, otherwise he would have to admit that he lied to the rest of them. Something I do not think wise, as I do not like to think what the punishment for such a lie would be by their kind, for both him or for me.

My Keeper has not said anything yet, to me. Whenever he passes by, he sometimes gives me a look, but mostly he just ignores me. Something I am thankful for, as I am left in peace for the longest time that I can remember.

In fact, all of the women have been left alone today, no doubt out of respect for the Cyclopes' fallen brother. I find it odd that they would show respect for such a monster as he was. He betrayed their trust, attacked them… why would they care that he is now dead? I could understand their grief for the death of the other Cyclops, as he was young and who gave his life trying to save another, but why care about Polyphemus?

I guess now most of them will want to forget what happened, and try to move on, as that's all they can do now. I doubt my Keeper will leave me alone for long.

For now, I am going to enjoy my day off and relish in my peace and relaxation. I certainly need it, as what happened last night, and this terrible nausea I've been having has felt like a slap from my Keeper.

I will speak to you again some other day…

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Day 49: 

I apologize for not writing much in the last few days, but the Fates have finally sealed my doom. The worst thing, since my arrival here in my prison, has finally occurred. I kept telling myself that it would never come to be, as it was impossible, but alas... the Gods have once more proven me wrong...

I am with child.

The sickness associated with childbearing has been apparent in me now for weeks. I have just not been recognizing them... or perhaps denying them.

Every morning now I have been ill, waking up nauseous, and I have already gained several pounds. It is not possible for me to be this far in my childbearing now so soon. But then again, many would say that it is not possible for a Human and a Cyclops to bear children together, but I know that fact to be false, as my child can be no one else's but my Keeper's.

I have been crying now for what seems forever. There is no hope now whatsoever for me. I can never return home.

Even if by some miracle I was able to escape the Cyclopes' stronghold and make my way back home, I would never be welcome, not even by my own family. I am carrying the seed of a monster, one of the one-eyed creatures that threaten our country and people. Such a revelation would be my undoing, not to mention my ultimate disgrace.

My family no doubt believes that the Cyclops that raided our village, destroyed my home, and killed my husband, must also have killed me. I would prefer it if they continued to believe that. I do not think I could stand the shame if they were to discover my true fate, and whose mistress I now am, and his child that I now carry.

I am beyond fear now. The slim hope that I might one day escape has now been taken away from me. With this child on the way, I can never leave my prison. It is now official...I am the Cyclops's wife and slave for the rest of my remaining days. My mind now finds itself sickly hoping for the rockslide that never happened, as Polyphemus had attempted to dig me out of the hill.

Though I do not believe I will have to suffer for that long...

I have been the Cyclops' prisoner now for just over a month, yet the symptoms I suffer feel as though they are within my 3rd or 4th month. Even now my belly is starting to show signs of that, as it stretches beyond norm. Stretch marks, like red fissures in the earth, reach across my belly.

I am filled with terror, but even I can understand the meaning of what is to occur... if the baby is this big when I am but a few weeks, or a month with child. Then Gods know how gigantic it will be at the birth.

My Keeper is coming.

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I've learned to curl around my beloved journal when my Keeper walks up, and act as if I am stricken with a cramp. I fake it with soft cries and shivers. He dares not to touch me, as his rough touch might kill the child that would grow up to fight against the Humans, the Humans whose stolen women gave birth to them.

When I feel him near me, I am struck with the thought of this child... _his_ child… as an adult staring down at a quivering pregnant woman, a woman that he kidnapped from her home, like I had been. I imagine seeing him doing all the things that his father now does, from drinking and pillaging Human people, to abducting and raping innocent women.

As I lay weeping salty empty tears that run down my face, the journal tucked between my growing breasts and belly… my Keeper looks down on me in sympathy, but also in earnest excitement. I am the first of his women to be with his child, the sole reason why the Cyclopes mate with us in the first place. So naturally, he is overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father.

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**Day 51: **

When food runs low in the caves, all but a few Cyclopes leave to hunt for food. They leave in early morning, when it is still dark and the sun is just an orange promise in the distance. The early morning hours provide them with the cover they need to forage, as well as a bounty of animals to hunt, as the nocturnal animals are laying down to sleep and the animals of the day are scarcely awake, as are the Humans the Cyclopes pillage from. They are too drowsy to fight back or notice the Cyclopes. I supposed they must be successful foragers for such a group to stay alive and well fed for so long.

They move with surprising stealth, as they do not wake us, probably another reason for their success.

There was a tap on the lid of the cage, which is what awoke me. I sat up.

My Keeper was the only Cyclops in the cave this morning. He must have remained behind to keep watch over us.

It was so early in the morning that the birds were not even awake to sing the praises of the new day. The only sounds were the grunts and pained snores of the women around me, and the ocean loudly crashing on the rocks below. The air bore the slight scent of rot that ebbed and flowed with the tide. I dare not look over the cliff head at what was possibly the smell, though I had an idea what it could be emanating from.

"Are you awake?"

I did not answer, but sat up and looked straight at him.

"Yes, I know you don't like it here, you don't have to give me that expression every damn time." he stated.

I began to lie down again. Even though I am now wide-awake, I can still ignore him.

"Don't blame me for bringing you back, all right?" he stated in a stern tone. "I could have left you there, you know. Been off on your merry way…but do you know what would have happened if my brothers had found you first? What if another Cyclops other than me found you squatting between those rocks? I'm gonna tell you, it would not have been pretty."

I rolled over.

"All those little pranks we play on you… those are just jests, jests and games. They're not even close to what we'll do when we're serious," he stated. "We may not have been fond of ol' Polly, but he was still a Cyclops, a kin and a brother. Maybe they might have thought he had stolen you away. Everyone knew he had something for you."

He paused, picking at his teeth.

"You still blinded him, hurt him, maimed him for life…" he stated. "If they found you, they'd start by popping out your joints. It's quite easy with strength like ours, and quite painful for you. Then we'll snap bones, starting at the hands and working down the arm, starting at the foot and working our way up the legs. Then maybe we'll pull the arms and legs off, it depends. You could have been left out crippled for the wolves or cold to claim, wolves if you were lucky."

He paused.

"You're damn lucky I found you. If they came back and found you gone, you would have been hunted down, and quite easily found, too," he said. "We didn't like Polyphemus. But he was one of us, and in times such as this, the only comfort we have is in each other."

I gripped at the cold ground.

What comfort is offered to me in a world such as this?

He looked at me for a moment, and then reached down and picked me up in his hand, but he did it gently and without his usual roughness.

"I know we've had our… _differences_ in the past…" he started, but I would not let him finish.

"You killed my husband!" Had I been an animal, I would be snarling at him. I was even crouching down on all fours like an enraged cat. "You did it right in front of me, and then you had the gall to violate my body, and bring me here to be no more than your mare! You pulled me away from all I had to comfort myself with! You scream at me when I fought to try and protect myself against your sadistic **_brother_** who would have killed both me, and this _thing _of yours that is growing inside of me! He could have done worse; he could have forced me to lose this _thing_ of yours and replaced it with his own! And you call him a comfort? You still have other brothers whereas I… I have nothing. None of these…these sows here are comfort. Everything I've had, you've taken away!"

My Keeper just looked at me for a moment. "I would gladly give up all that I have here to regain what I lost to you humans," he hissed. "Before I came here, I had a father, brother, both of whom were slaughtered by your kind just for being different! And if that weren't enough, you humans then had the gall to murder most of my people!" He paused, breathing heavily.

"My people weren't always like this," he paused again. "Well, okay, maybe we were, at least as far as our lust is concerned. But we never abducted anyone, and we never did anything to anyone who didn't willingly desire it… " He scratched his eye with his free hand. "There were just so few females in my kind. There always have been, even in the old days. Less than one out of three, sometimes even five, births are females, so they're naturally very rare. Then when you… " He growled again, looking angry. "After you humans, in all your _infinite wisdom_, decided to butcher most of us, including our women, we had none left at all! And with no women, our race faced extinction!"

His single eye seemed to look distant for a moment, as though looking into the past.

"We tried to get in touch with other Olympians, but with so many humans after our blood, there was no way to get safe word to them. For all we know, we were the last, so we… We did what we thought, and what we still believe, was our only choice… We each agreed to abduct seven human females with whom we would bear offspring. That's the only reason you were brought here! Not to torture you, nor to humiliate, constantly rape, violate, or even just to laugh at… but to give our people a chance for survival!"

I didn't answer at first, and just continued staring at him until I… "Is this supposed to make me feel better?" I cried. "I couldn't care less whether your people live or die! In fact, I yearn for its complete death! You took away everything from me!"

"Taken it all away?" he had replied. "You've got me! I can give you pleasure that is beyond anything than any Human male can do!"

I swung my foot at him, hoping to catch his own eye and blind him, but I was nowhere near.

My Keeper just cocked his one eye-ridge at me.

He is far more degenerate than any animal I know of. Just when I think there might be a softer side to him, he just goes right back to his wild and lustful beast nature. I still don't know if he says these things because he thinks them true, or if he's even more insane than even I realized.

"Suppose I can't blame you," he carried on, looking bored. "I mean, considering how small and pathetically weak your men are… It's not really a surprise you scream the cavern down in ecstasy when you ride _real_ men like us." He flicked the muscles of his chest at me while thrusting his hips.

"Real men don't do what you do," I answered softly and sat down, my back to him. Then I looked over my shoulder and yelled at him, "You're not even a real man, you're just a-a… a monster!"

He snarled, offended. "You dare call me a monster?"

I did not answer.

"You think I'm a monster?" he snarled, his breath pouring over me. "So what if I take my choice of Human women as companions, so what if I do? I only do that because your _real men_ mowed down our women and children without a chance, without thought. They vanquished them like how a fire burns down a forest. And now, we are all that's left! Without us, without you, our race has no future, because of _your_ race!"

I did not answer, I did not respond to what he said. Parts of me were happy to see him angered, twisted with inner turmoil in place of his usual nature. I never felt so great an accomplishment in all my life.

Oh, I could give him answers. But I let him choke on the stupidity of his words. Let him see my ravaged body…the body he ravaged…let him think of his ravaged females and children. Is he any better than his so-called Human monsters?

I said nothing, half quiet with smugness, half quiet with thought.

All of me was thankful when he returned me without a word to the cage.

He did not speak to me for the rest of day.

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**Day 58: **

It has been a week and my Keeper has not spoken another word to me. I felt oddly cold today, as I have most of the week since the talk between us. I find now how little I do have to comfort me.

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**Day 65: **

He still has yet to say a word to me. It has been a fortnight now. Someone comes.

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**Day 66: **

He has spoken to me for the first time today in two weeks. I think he could not resist, which I may consider a triumph of my very own. I have gone easily without speaking to him or the other women, finding for myself a much more fruitful and intelligent companion in my journal.

He brought over cooked hindquarters of a hart for breakfast…still steaming from the fire, not charred or picked over. He gave it to me.

"Here, eat up for the kid."

That was it.

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**Day 100: **

My days alone in my cage are starting to get to me. With nothing but my thoughts to keep me company, they take me back to the night when the Human child came to us.

Ever since the incident with the child, I found my feelings for the one-eyed monsters in turmoil. I do not know what to think of them anymore. I still think of them as perverted and loathsome creatures, but if they were all that… then why did they save that small girl?

But even the strangeness with the sick child could not prepare me for what I witnessed the other day…

Since knowledge of my childbearing became apparent, my Keeper removed me from the cage that has been my cell ever since I came here, and placed me in a new one in one of the other caverns. This is a special area reserved only for those who are expecting.

There were other women there, also bearing offspring. Many of them were constantly in tears, whereas others were just quiet, keeping to themselves. Considering our fate, I suppose I can't blame them.

The one good thing about being in this new cavern is that there are no activities going on here. Since we are all with child then there is no point for the Cyclopes to mate with us. So at least we are now safe from the monsters' lust, as small a consolation as that may be right now.

I still see my Keeper, of course, as he comes regularly to check on me and his other mothers to be. I also occasionally see other Cyclopes who come by, checking on their child-bearers.

And then there was the couple that I saw last night…

It was late; I was deep in sleep, but not so much that I didn't hear the noisy footsteps of one of my Keepers. I raised my head to see one of the younger Cyclopes coming into our cavern.

I found this odd, as I have seen all the father Cyclopes, and only they are allowed entry into this cavern here. It is forbidden for anyone else to enter.

All the others were sound asleep, so I remained still so as not to alert him to my presence.

"It is safe here," the young Cyclops spoke to someone, though I saw no one. At first, I thought maybe there was another Cyclops behind him, but then I saw him reach into his loincloth and pull something out… or should I say _someone_.

It was a young girl, about the same age as the Cyclops, at least as far as physical aging goes. I didn't think much of it at that moment, as I thought he was just bringing in another female to satisfy his lust, even though that wasn't supposed to be allowed in here. But then again, can you expect a tribe of monstrous beasts such as these to be law biding?

But what I heard in the next few minutes made even my eyes blink…

"I'm sorry for the… _cramped_ conditions," the Cyclops had said sheepishly, patting his loincloth with the one hand while he held the young woman with the other.

I couldn't see much of her, as the darkness of the cave concealed most of her face.

"Don't worry about it," she had said, and I swear I could detect a sense of humor in her voice…

What possibly reason could any Human female have for finding any humor in a place like this?

… "I found it rather enjoyable," she continued, and I could definitely feel her smile from all the way across the cave floor. "Although, you may want to think about bathing a little more regularly from now on."

There was a short laughter from the both of them, and then the reality hit me… This Cyclops and Human… were friends! Perhaps, dear Gods, even more than that.

Many things have repulsed, shocked, and frightened me since coming here. The event with the child had given me pause for thought, true… but not even that could have prepared me for the possibility of a Cyclops courting a female of my kind… and actually succeeding.

"Why did you bring me here?" she had asked him, to which the Cyclops just looked at her with something akin to pity.

"To show you this," he replied, pointing over at our cages. I kept my face down so that she would not notice me awake. She stared at all us caged women as though we were freaks at a carnival, in shock and terror.

"What?" she simply asked him.

The Cyclops just looked sorrowfully at her. "This is the fate of any Human that couples with one of my kind," he told her, his eye watering up. "I did not want to show you this… I _so_ did not want to show you this, but it was the only way… If you and I were to ever mate, and produce an heir… this would be the result!"

He pointed at the extended belly of a sleeping woman lying in the next cage to me. "Look at them, my Aphrodite… Can you honestly see a future for either of these poor souls sleeping here? Do you think any of them will live past the birth of one of my kind?"

The young girl just looked tearfully at him. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked again. "I thought you… I thought you loved me?"

_Love? _Now I am completely shocked and revolted… This girl had actually confessed to being in love with one of these monsters, and he her apparently.

The Cyclops drew her up close to him, looking at her in earnest. "I do love you," he told her. "More than I care about my own life… but our love is not meant to be, you know that. You know what my brethren do to your people every day, and yours do to ours. There can never be any hope for us."

"We could leave together?" she said hopefully.

"And then what?" the Cyclops actually looked close to tears now himself. "Why do you think I showed you this? Even if we were to leave together, go someplace where no one could ever find us, live out our days in peace… How much of a future do you think we would have together once you bore my child?"

He held her to him, rocking her slowly as though she were a baby. "No female Human has ever survived birthing a child of my race, and unless my kind one day shrinks, or yours grows, they never will."

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck as far as they would go. I heard her say she had never thought it possible for her to love one of his kind, before she met him.

The Cyclops smiled down at her. "Before I met you, I had every intention of following through what my fellow Cyclopes were and still are doing… kidnap and mate with all the women I could find." He spoke, as he stroked the side of her face. "You were to be my first victim, but… the first moment I saw your small delicate face, I knew that Cupid's arrow had struck me. Now, the very thought of being with any female other than you is unacceptable to me."

The girl smiled bitterly. "My first instinct was to run screaming when I first saw you," she replied. "Mainly because the first thing I saw was your giant weapon."

"I don't have a weapon," the Cyclops had said, looking confused.

The girl smiled. "I don't mean a weapon as in a sword, I meant… your _other_ kind of weapon." She said, indicating to his lower regions.

It didn't take a genius to realize what she meant by that. While the Cyclops blushed a darker shade of green, and she laughed… I felt my stomach begin to turn out.

"I wish…" the Cyclops begun again, but was stopped by his Human love.

"Please don't," she pleaded with him. "Please don't say it."

Her lover looked at her for a few minutes, and then kissed her… an action I am still astounded by, considering how much larger Cyclops' lips are to Humans'.

After a few more moments, he pulled her back from him, and then said, "I will never be whole without you. Remember that always."

The girl didn't reply, and just stared at him, her eyes watering.

"We must leave now," he then said. "Leave, say our goodbyes, and never speak of each other to anyone… If my brothers were to learn of you, I do not want to think what they might do. They might decide to take you, just for amusement, as a joke on me. And I hate to think of what your kind would do if they found out who your secret love was."

"I would cut out my own heart for you," she said simply.

"And I for you," he replied. "But sadly, in this time and place, love like that is not enough… We must go." He quickly placed her back into his loincloth, and after making a final check outside the cavern, he departed.

As his thunderous footsteps faded away, I lay there till I fell asleep.

'How could any woman fall in love with a Cyclops of all things?' I kept asking myself. 'How?'

Even today, I cannot find an answer.

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**Day 178: **

My child has grown to the point where I can literally no longer move. My belly is stretched beyond all proportion that it is unbelievable. The child's size and stature prevents me from moving. I have to lie on my side, or else the child will surely crush me.

Normally, when a child moves within its mother, it is said to be one of the greatest joys in a mother's life. With me however, all I feel is pain and fear.

Every time the child moves, I have to grit my teeth and bite my lip to stand the pain that it causes me. This child has yet to be born, yet it is the size consist to that of a child of 5-6 years. My skin has stretched so much that I believe that even by some miracle if I am able to survive the birth, my belly will be nothing more than a withered sack of skin, hanging from my bones.

I do not believe though that I have anything to fear of that, for I am fairly certain... No, I am definitely certain that Hades will come claim my soul soon. There is no way that I can push a child of this stature into the world, and live.

As the child moves, I can see the bone structure of its face pressed from beneath my skin. I can tell already that it has only one eye, like its father.

I want to break down and cry. Almost a year ago, I was newly married to the man of my dreams, waiting in earnest for the day when I would bear his children and raise them in the safe walls of the family home.

My dream has now been soiled. My beloved is now long since dead, and my new lord is a Cyclops with an overrated opinion of himself, believing himself to be my true master, and the answer to both mine and all women's prayers and desires.

It sickens me that I carry his seed within me. But alas, as much as it brings me revulsion to see the creature growing within me... The child has stolen my heart. For as much as it may take on the traits of its father, and for all I know it may grow to become its father's exact duplicate. But despite all those possibilities, it is still also my child, and it has my love.

I am unclear as to what my Keeper's true feelings are. The way he treats me and the other women who carry his children, you would almost consider him the loving husband, particularly with me.

He gives us anything we need, now that we are with his offspring, and he handles us with love, caring, and even some small amount of respect. He even kisses us before we go to sleep, and ensures that we are kept warm for the night.

He talks about the coming children, about what names we ought to give them, what they will be like, how he hopes there will be a girl among them, not that he wouldn't want a litter of strapping sons like him, and how we will all be together as a family.

When I heard him said that, I almost laughed…

Does he honestly think we can all be a loving family? Does he really think that he has a future with any of us? If he does then he is a fool, as there's no chance for us to even live beyond the births.

He treats all us mothers with care, but with me he shows a certain... tenderness. Part of me will always have the desire to take whatever care he shows to me, and spit it back in his face. But it has been so many months now since he first took me, and with things the way they are now, there is no longer any point in resisting.

Despite all his past crimes against me, there was a point last night that I was almost inclined to pity him. For last night, for the first time since coming here to my prison, I saw the sky.

My Keeper came to the cage where I and the other expectant mothers are kept. We had been separated from the other women the moment when they learnt that we were with children. He brought the food for the other mothers, and then he took me up in his arms, carrying me gently.

At first I was surprised, as I was expecting him to start ravaging me again, like he did so many times before, but which he had not done since my condition had become clear. But then, he started to carry me away out of the cavern where we are now kept, past our old cage, the other Cyclopes who do not spare us a glance, and finally the cavern's one and only entrance and exit. But he did not even stop there.

My heart was so full at that moment, the same as it was back when I had nearly escaped the first time. I soon had the ocean in my sights, the taste of the salty breeze, and the fresh smell of sea air.

Tears threatened to escape from my eyes, as he continued walking up to the high cliffs of the mountains where we finally stopped. He sat down at the cliff's edge, holding me securely in his lap, ensuring that I had full view of the sea.

As the wind blew against my face, I finally did cry.

My Keeper said nothing, for once, and just stayed sitting where he was, with me in his lap, stroking my swollen belly. We remained sitting there for endless hours. I feared that the time would soon come when he would take me back to my cage, but never once did he speak nor move.

After a while… I know not how long… I briefly took my gaze away from the jewel-filled sky, with Hecate's moon shining down on me, and looked up at him.

"What's your name?" I asked him. I do not know why I asked, but after months of being his prisoner, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never learned who he was. And it just seemed silly to me that after so much time had past, I had never thought to learn my captor's name.

He looked down at me, but not with a look of arrogance, lust, cockiness, or pride… but just a kind look of tenderness.

"Arges," he replied softly, and said nothing else.

Eventually I fell asleep in his embrace, and when I awoke I found myself back in my cage with the others. At first, I thought that I had dreamt it all, but then I noticed the sea breeze scent in my hair, and the salty taste on my skin, and realized that I had not dreamt it.

Why my Keeper… or Arges, as that is his name, did that, I have no idea. But for once, I am eternally grateful to him with all my heart and soul... for once.

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**Day 259: **

It is over for me. My baby, something that should be celebrated as a blessed event, is going to be my death.

It has grown even further since I last wrote. There is now no doubt whatsoever that I shall not live past the birth. A great pity, for I had hoped somehow that if I were there to help raise it then maybe there would be a chance for it not to become like its father, or the others of its kind.

It doesn't seem likely now that that will ever happen. He'll be raised in a race that's ruled by the males, ones that care nothing for the smaller peoples, least of all their women, and will teach him to do the same. For all I know, by the time he reaches his young adulthood he will already be raiding villages, stealing some poor virgin to take as his own, as I was by his father.

I want to break down and cry again, but I cannot. I have done that so many times already that there are no longer any tears left in my eyes to shed.

I look down on the face that looks up at me. The skin of my belly is now stretched so thin that it is almost transparent. I can almost see the color of my baby's skin through my own.

I trace my fingers along the outline of my baby's face. It seems to like that, as I can hear a low moaning from within me and it settles down, resting inside. I think it has grown beyond the point of wanting to remain inside me.

I once heard someone say that life is a journey to seek out the peace you experienced while inside your mother. I don't think that saying includes Cyclopes babies though. My baby must be awfully cramped up inside of me, as it twists and turns a lot now.

It must yearn freedom as much as I do. That's probably one of the few things he has inherited from me.

I know it to be a boy, as I can just sense it. And I have long since learnt that females are a rarity among Cyclopes, even when they had females of their own kind to mate with, hence the reason why their race is now so debased.

I wish I could see my family just once more, to tell them how much I love them, I doubt they will ever find this journal, and I do not expect them to, but I nonetheless write a small message for them in these parchments…

Mother, father, Grandfather, and even the relatives of my late husband… I love you. I wish we could have had more time together, but in this case the Fates were against us.

Mother, I wish I had listened more to the lessons you tried to teach me in my childhood, to cook and to sew. Although I learnt much, I could have learnt a lot more.

Father, you never asked me to learn the trades of your profession as a farmer, as you never expected me to take up your work someday, but I would like you to know… There was never a day that went by that I didn't yearn to work with you, just so we could spend time together.

Grandfather, out of all our family, you were the one who gave me so much. You taught me the rare gift of reading and writing, opening my eyes to the wonders of the world, and its terrors.

To my beloved husband, I so wish we could have spent our lives together. I so wish that the baby inside me were really yours, and not that of the one-eyed monster that I am condemned with. Before we met, I had not thought it possible to love another as much as I have loved you. Before you, I was the prettiest spoilt girl in our village, with any man that I wished, and then came you… the man who I wanted, and no one else. You taught me the meaning of true love, and that was my most important lesson.

The baby is moving again, I can't stand the pain. I must go.

If I can write again I will, if not… farewell! And to my beloved, I will be with you soon.

I will go…

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_**This is the end of Helen's diary, the end of her torment. BUT this is not the end of her story!**_

**_Now that you have all read Helen's finals days of life in her own words, what are your own opinions? Do you think that the Cyclopes were all within their rights to capture and rape innocent women, even if they were Humans, and then subject them to outrageous humiliations, before finally condemning them to an agonizing death? There was no modern medicine, no great grand technology. Cyclops children tore women inside out. _**

**_Perhaps the Cyclopes really did have no choice… After all, with no females of their own left, and if they hadn't had done what they did, then chances are their race would now be long since extinct. And for all we know, maybe we would do the exact same thing if we were in the same situation, threatened with extinction? And maybe it was the Humans who started all this, and they only got what they rightfully deserved? _**

**_But… was it worth it? _**

**_Even if the Humans did start it all, did the women of their race truly deserve what the Cyclopes did to them? If they had then did the Cyclopes achieve their much-wanted vengeance/justice, or did they just sink themselves down to the Human's bloodthirsty level, what the people of today call savage and barbarism? _**

**_And if there had been another way, would the Cyclopes have taken it? _**

**_There are so many unanswered questions that maybe we will never fully know the answers to, and perhaps it is best that we don't. But there are some things that I do know for certain… _**

**_The Cyclopes did what they did seemingly for the right reasons, to save their own species from being destroyed and forgotten. No one wants to die, and no one certainly wants to be forgotten forever, as that would be like taking a willing dive into oblivion. So we certainly can't fault the Cyclopes for their desire to survive, as the survival instinct is built into all of us, Human, Gargoyle and Olympian alike. _**

**_But since they did do it, and for all the long centuries that have passed since those ancient times…has the Cyclopes race ever fully forgotten about those dark days? Do they look on their history with pride? _**

**_I cannot answer for certain what their reply would be, but I imagine it would be 'no.' _**

**_So the Cyclopes choose to live out their days in denial, trying to firmly believe that their ancestors had done what they did out of necessity, that they had no choice… to survive. _**

**_But… how many mistakes and atrocities have been committed in the past because of those exact same words? _**

**_I am not saying that the Cyclopes were evil; I am merely saying that they were just… misguided. For despite their actions toward the Humans, in Helen's diary she reveals that some Cyclopes were willing to risk their lives to save that of a Human child. And one of them even fell in love with a Human. But can I ask you, can you do the same?_**

**_But the Cyclopes have chosen not to reveal their history to anyone outside their own kin, but prefer to keep it safely hidden away, so that no one will ever know the truth. It is not an unusual action, as many people prefer to keep their mistakes in life, or even those of them closest to them, out of the public's eye, something that Senator Raon would have surely attested to. But I have learned something else in my life, which is also important… Unless we open our eyes and ears, and learn about the truths and mistakes of the past, then how can we prevent them from being repeated in the future? _**

_**And that is what's happening today. Achilles was merely the result of the same bigotry that is happening today on this island. Like the Humans of old, we choose to look down on those we feel are inferior, and treat them as such. And like the ancient Cyclopes, and from some dark and hateful place in his mind, Achilles did what he felt he had no choice but to do, because he thought that was what we expected of him, so he complied.**_

**_The Cyclopes were not the only race to have done wrong. There were others… some that I know of, and many others whom I do not. Talk to your neighbors and fellow New Olympians, ask questions, and find out the truth… For as I said, if we don't find out the truth and learn from our mistakes, then we are allowing them the opportunity to be made again! _**

_**The End!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**This chapter marks the long-awaited end of the New Olympus saga! Many thanks to all our faithful readers for waiting, but real life kept getting in the way! Hope this was worth the wait.**_

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_**Previously:**_

_"Poor Taurus," Calypso said, when hearing attacks against him in the speech, and sighed. "I fear us getting to know each other is postponed for now. I need to give Taurus some support."_

_"Hey, why don't I come tomorrow and we can talk with sunshine and something cold to drink? I don't have school for some more days, and I was wondering what to do with my time. And this will be definitely better than us talking during the night," Cassy suggested, finding that she liked Calypso._

_0000_

_Cassy shuddered, imagining Taurus, Cyc and countless others lying dead in a battlefield with the corpses of Humans. _

"_If however you do decide to go ahead with your plan," Cyan continued. "Whatever that is, then there's a chance the people might listen, however slim. In which case, you'll be doing your friend and everyone else a big favour by possibly saving their lives." _

_Cassy smiled, but soon lost it… _

"_But I could also end up loosing one of my best friends forever, couldn't I?" she remarked. _

_Cyan sighed and nodded. "Sad but true," she admitted. "But if he or she is still alive, then there's a chance you could always reconcile with them someday. You won't get that chance if they're dead."_

_Cassy sat where she was, thinking, her thoughts in a jumble, until finally she got up…_

_0000_

_'Come on! Don't get cold feet now!' she scolded herself for hesitating._

_Cassy took another deep breath, and with what felt like her final act of bravery, she pressed the upload button… _

'_**UPLOAD COMPLETE! FILE POSTED!'**_

**-To the Gathering, we go!-**

_**And Now, The Conclusion...**_

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**Manty and Cassy's Apartment; 08:29 AM:**

Cassy yawned, as she awoke, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she did so. She remained lying in bed for a moment before she suddenly remembered her activity from last night.

'Ohhh Gods what have I done?' she thought dramatically.

The memories of last night quickly returned to her, as she remembered transcribing the ancient diary that she had stolen from Cyc's house into a computer file and uploading it onto New Olympus's Internet base.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now… now she had a sudden urge to grab the nearest bottle of Ambrosia she could find and drink herself into unconsciousness beneath her bed-covers.

When she had added all that extra text, her own personal thoughts and feelings, to the file, she had tried to make it sound as anonymous as possible. But she doubted that many of the island's inhabitants would be fooled, particularly a certain Cyclops family.

Cyc may not seem like the brainiac type, but he was no fool. You would have to be a complete idiot not to realise who had stolen his family's diary from him. Cyc had revealed their family's secret history to only one person… _her_. And she had been in their house enough times to locate the diary in question, so they would soon learn who it was and who had taken it.

The personal details, she felt sure, would be a dead giveaway. After all, how many other citizens on new Olympus were there who had gone through a traumatic event similar to a rape?

"What have I done?" she asked herself again, this time out loud. This would be, she thought with dead certainty, a day on which she'd regret getting up.

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**Cyc's Residence; 08:53 AM:**

Cyc was yanked from the embrace of sleep, and multiple giggling dream-women, by the loud and booming voice of his father.

"CYC, WAKE UP!"

"Damn it, Dad…" he murmured, snuggling into the bosom of his pillow.

Suddenly, he flopped onto the floor as his father easily flipped Cyc's mattress…with him still laying on it.

The entire building shook, dishes broke in their house, and in other adjoining homes, multiple residents were shaken awake by the aftershock of a Cyclops hitting the floor.

"**DAD?** What in Tartarus was that for?" he exclaimed, tossing the mattress. In a tired, but irritated voice, he then added. "Did you just get another girlfriend that you wanted to show me off to, or vice versa?"

"Orin called," Brontes stated in a softer and serious tone.

"Did something happen at the bar?" Cyc asked, perking up.

"No, the bar…the bar is fine. One of the patrons had a story to tell him at the start of his shift. Something she saw on the web. A few other patrons saw the same thing, too, and told him about it later on. Orin left work early," Brontes slowly grumbled. "Just… just… just go look…okay? Orin sent me the link. And he sent it to you too."

"Dad, what is the problem?" Cyc asked, irritable at his father's elusiveness.

"**JUST GET OFF THE FLOOR AND GO LOOK, OKAY? I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS MINOTAUR-SHIT NOW, CYC! GET OFF YOUR ASS, **_**NOW**_**!" **Brontes roared and stormed out, slamming the door behind him, causing the building to once again shake, as neighbours moaned in anger.

A third quake shook the building, as Brontes punched the wall.

Cyc blinked his one eye in startled confusion. He had rarely ever seen his father in a foul mood before. There had been times when he had been a little grumpy in the morning, or irritated when he hadn't been able to get lucky with a new lady-friend he had recently picked up, but this… this was just plain fury he was displaying now. Something he had never seen him in.

He picked himself up from the floor, and went to go check his computer. Sure enough, Orin had emailed him, telling him to go check out the link in his message.

Curious, Cyc clicked on the URL link. It ended up taking him to a particular file at the information database of New Olympus.

"What in Tartarus?" Cyc frowned, as he read the title of the file. "Looking Into The Mirror?"

He opened the file and began reading…

He didn't recognise the first lines written by whoever had uploaded this file, but he certainly recognised the next few… "Days have turned into weeks, or possibly months?"

He had only read this bit of literature once when he was little (as in 15ft, little for a Cyclops), but he remembered each word as though he had only read it yesterday.

"Dear Gods on all Mount Olympus!" Cyc breathed in shock. It was the diary! The damn diary that his family had kept secret for so many centuries was now on public display on the island's most popular website!

He skimmed down through the rest of the file, already knowing what was written in it, until he was nearer the bottom. That part showed some more added bits from whoever had uploaded it onto the website, which talked mostly about mistakes being repeated, and not running from the past but facing it.

"How…?" Cyc started, but he didn't need to finish the question, as he already knew the answer.

Whoever had uploaded this must obviously have seen the diary that his family usually kept hidden in the chest within his father's study. Nothing had ever been stolen from their home so it couldn't have been a burglary, so whoever it had been must have come specifically for the diary.

That meant that they had already known about the story of his family's secret shame, and aside from members of their kin (none of whom would ever steal from them) there was only one other person who could possibly know about the diary's story.

"Cassy," Cyc hissed, his temper growing.

"Gods damn it!" he cursed loudly. "Cassy, what have you done?" He felt like hitting something himself, but right now he had other problems to deal with.

Forcibly suppressing his emotions, he swallowed and walked out of his room, forgetting for a moment that he was naked, since Cyclops didn't wear anything for bed.

He soon found his father standing in his study over the chest where the diary was supposed to be kept. As he peered closer, he noticed that the ancient scrolls were still in their plastic holders, securing their freshness and keeping them from deteriorating.

He had often been mystified about that fact… If they didn't want anyone to find out about their families past, then why didn't they just destroy the papers and be done with it?

"Are the scrolls all there?" he asked his father.

Brontes nodded slowly. "Everything's here… except for the translator."

"Translator?"

Brontes growled beneath his breath. "That dumb translator! I should have realised it before now… Someone must have taken it and scanned the scroll's words into it before making off with it!"

Brontes threw the scrolls back into the chest, slamming it shut with an almighty bang, shuddering the entire room.

"All right, now you tell me!" his father demanded, glaring at him with that single eye of his, looking as though it were ready to throw daggers at him. "How in the name of all the underworld did this particularly chapter of our family's history end up on New Olympus's public database?"

Cyc swallowed and looked at the corner of the study, then at the window. "I…I don't know…"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Brontes exclaimed, raising his hand to his head, wiping sweat off his brow. "Damnit, Cyc! It didn't just get up and walk out of here with out any help. It didn't just develop a sense of self awareness and morality, then grow legs…"

"Maybe people won't know it's our family. Maybe they'll think it's any of the many Cyclops families living on New Olympus," Cyc said hopelessly.

"No such luck. Thanks to Genealogy, all you need do is go into the hall of records, look up the family tree and trace it back to us," Brontes exclaimed, picking up a paperweight on his desk and then crushing it into powder in his hand.

Brontes wiped his dusty hand against his sweating forehead, leaving a powdery streak across his worried brow. He paced back and forth, his veins popping with each anguished heartbeat.

"But who…who would have done this…?" Brontes said. "Who would want to do this to us? We have lived good lives…not perfect…but we have hurt no one intentionally. We are not cruel, we are no longer rapists… We love our families, our New Olympian brethren as if they were our own. We worked hard to make up for the sins of our ancestors. We are not they, but why, why would anyone want to dig this up? We are not they, we are no longer like them. We will never be like them!"

"Maybe…maybe one of the dates we brought home got into the chest…an angry lover maybe trying to get even with us," Cyc softly stated.

"No, no, Cyc," Brontes responded. "It wasn't any of them. Please don't try and deny it…I can't deny anymore either. I spent all night and morning trying to deny it… but we both know… It was Cassy."

"Please, please don't say that," Cyc rumbled.

"Cyc, why did you show her?" Brontes hissed.

"I thought I could trust her, I thought… I thought she was my friend. I believed she thought the same of me. I thought she was brethren. I wanted her to trust me," Cyc responded. "I wanted her to know we, the New Olympians, have changed, that some of us wanted her to be one of us."

"You thought wrong, Cyc," Brontes responded. "We both thought wrong."

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**Cassy and Manty's Apartment; 09:35 AM:**

After spending an extra hour in bed, Cassy finally worked up the courage to get up and make her way into the living room area.

She soon found Manty in the kitchen area, staring at something on their computer screen on the wall. She wanted to ask him what he was looking at, but deep down she had a sneaking suspicion what it was.

A few moments later, Manty looked up and noticed her.

"Cassy, thank the Gods you're awake," Manty exclaimed.

Cassy swallowed. "Why?" she asked.

"You have _got_ to see what's on the information database this morning!" he told her. "Seems someone uploaded a file about some Cyclops' human ancestor. It's spreading like wildfire all over the place. Massive debates have already erupted whether or not it's legit and somehow related to the Gathering. It's… Well, just come and see for yourself."

"I've already seen it, Manty," Cassy admitted, looking grieved.

Manty stared at her. "How could you? Have you been up long?"

"No," Cassy was finding it hard to breathe at that moment. "I know about it because… Well, you see… I sort of… I… "

"Spit it out, girl!" Manty exclaimed, a little frustrated, wondering what was wrong with his adoptive daughter.

"I know about it because…" Cassy swallowed. "…Because _I_ was the one who uploaded it on the database in the first place."

Manty stayed where he was, kneeling on his hind legs, staring in shock at her. Cassy just stood with her head sunken. They remained that way for more than a few minutes before Manty seemingly found the strength to speak again.

"Where…" he gulped. "Where did you get the story? Did you make it up yourself?"

Cassy shook her head. "No, the story's authentic."

"But where could you have gotten it from?" Manty wondered. "Stories like this aren't something you would find at the library, and the only way…" He stopped and looked up at her. "Cyc?" he asked.

Cassy nodded. "Cyc told me about how his ancestors once abducted and raped human women to procreate with," she explained. "And once when I went to his home, I found some ancient parchments that told the story of one of those women in particular."

"And Cyc and his father just let you take them to be broadcasted to the entire island?" Manty said in amazement. He knew Cyclopes had a taste for being the centre of attention, and for showing off and such, but even so, he doubted that they would have wanted _this_ kind of information leaking out about their family.

Cassy gulped. "No, not… _exactly_."

"How then?"

Cassy finally gathered her strength up, and looked straight at the Manticore.

From the look in her eyes, Manty seemed to finally understand what she was getting at, and his eyes widened in shock…

"Ohhh, Cassy," Manty said slowly. "Please tell me you didn't? Please tell me _you didn't __**steal**__ it_?"

Cassy sunk her head below again, feeling ashamed.

"By Zeus' fury, _WHY_?" Manty roared in outrage. "He is your friend, one of your few and closest friends. He risked his life for you and he'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Cassy backed up a little, feeling afraid but mostly just ashamed by her adoptive father's anger. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

"**THAT'S NO EXCUSE!"** Manty roared. "Why in the names of all the Gods would you steal from one of your friends?"

"I wasn't thinking," Cassy tried to explain, but couldn't find the proper words to do so. "It was just shortly after my… my _experience_ with Achilles. I was at Cyc's house and I found the diary of the ancient Greek woman, one whom had been through a similar thing. I just…" Cassy sighed pathetically. "From the way she described herself, it sounded almost like I had found my soulmate or something. She and I were born thousands of years apart, yet we both went through the same ordeal, the same pain and torture."

Cassy was close to tears, but Manty said nothing, wanting her to finish.

"When I started reading the diary, I couldn't stop," she continued. "That woman's life was practically erased from history because none of the New Olympians either wanted to know about her, or remember her."

"Why didn't you just ask Cyc or his family to borrow it?"

"I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to ask because I was still dealing with what happened to me. I was ashamed, and…" Cassy moaned. "It just happened so fast. Cyc was in the other room, I only had a few moments and… There was this old language translator that they had with it. I scanned the pages into it and took the translator with me. From the look of both things, they hadn't taken it out in years. I always intended to return it and put it back before they noticed it was gone."

"And instead you posted it to the information database where everyone on New Olympus could see it?" Manty said, almost accusingly.

"No!" Cassy exclaimed. "I mean, yes I did do that, but… It was not what I intended from the start. I said I always planned to return it, but then… then Achilles escaped, and I forgot about it briefly. Then the Gathering started, and everyone began talking about making contact with the outside world, but…"

"But what?"

Cassy sighed. "But everyone kept going on about how their ancestors were wronged by humans. No one would accept any blame on the fact that their ancestors had also wronged them. They refuse to see both sides of the story, only their side! They tried to erase this woman's story, sweep it under the rug and hide it. Despite amazing odds, it survived. Why would it have survived such a long time unless someone or something greater than us wanted the story to be told? I wanted people to know. _She_ wanted people to know."

"And you thought posting this story about a woman who was actually wronged by an Olympian would help make people see sense?" Manty deduced.

Cassy groaned, but nodded. "Now I wish I had just thrown the stupid thing away."

Manty sighed. "Look, Cassy. I can't say I'm proud of you stealing, and from one of your best friends no less, and then for you to broadcast it all over the entire island… But… I do understand what message you were trying to send. But that still doesn't justify you stealing and uploading it to the database without Cyc's family's permission!"

"I know, I know!" Cassy said in frustration. The knot in her stomach was growing worse by the second.

"Clearly Cyc's family didn't want this part of their family history made public," Manty deduced. "Maybe you don't share their reasoning or belief, but that does not concern you! This was their private business, and you had no right going through it, let alone putting it on display for everyone to see!"

"I'm sorry," Cassy choked, tears forming in her eyes.

"I suggest you not only feel sorry for yourself, but for Cyc and his family," Manty moaned, rubbing his head. "You're the one who has to explain to Cyc and his family why one of their family's most heavily guarded secrets is now on the island's information database. They are good people, probably among the best you would ever meet on the island. And you have ruined that reputation over night. I thought you knew better than this."

Cassy moaned, feeling like hiding in the darkest hole she could find.

0000000000

**0947 AM:**

Across New Olympus, there were many varied reactions that morning. From Boreas' high mansion at the heart of the city to the small treehouse-like homes near the top where the Cupids resided, people read and formed opinions.

Everyone that had a computer was checking the latest news on the information database, perhaps taking a sip of their early morning drinks… only to spit them out when they saw what had recently been uploaded to the site.

Boreas was among the first to see it. He had viewed the file with a cocked eyebrow, stroking his beard thoughtfully. He always approached each problem with the calm and poise that had marked him since before he took leadership.

"Cassy," he sighed, already knowing who the anonymous author of this little piece of literature was. This woman in this file had been raped; obviously meaning that whoever had uploaded this must have gone through a similar experience. And besides Cassy, he knew of no other New Olympian who had recently gone through something like that.

Boreas sighed again, studying the small novel. "This could go either way," he said thoughtfully. "But at least now we have a chance."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Taurus had been asleep until he had received an angry call from Helios who had been viewing the information site.

At first, he had angrily rebuked the fire-headed male for waking him up about some stupid upload by some dumb New Olympian who obviously had too much free time on his hands (assuming he had them)… but that changed when Helios told him what the upload was.

When Taurus had heard what Helios had had to say, he became fully awake and practically leaped out of bed, dashing straight to the large computer screen in his living room. He activated the screen with a voice command, quickly going through the list of choices on the screen until he reached the Database website.

What he saw there made him curse loudly. "_Cassy_!"

0000000000

In another part of town, a sleepy Minotaur walked around with a towel around his midsection, preparing to take a hot shower. After spending nearly half the night performing on stage, right after spending more than a few hours at the Gathering, he could have done with a lie-in. Unfortunately, those hedges at the park weren't going to trim themselves, and he needed all the work he could get.

Before going into his bathroom, however, he went to check on his computer. He always made a point at checking what the latest news was from around the isle.

He soon came to the site he wanted, and his eyes wandered down the list of latest news items.

"Interesting," he mumbled as he viewed some file that had been uploaded last night, smacking his lips together, and then made his way into the bathroom. He was not really paying attention to it, having not fully awakened yet.

He was in there for less than a minute before…

"WHAT THE…?"

He fully woke up.

0000000000

While he was busy getting his bearings, another New Olympian, this time a Centaur in a middle class area of the city, was also getting a shock.

Cyan had just come in from her morning trot. She checked her pulse, satisfied.

"Mom, dad, I'm home!" she called out, as she entered her house.

"Hi, sweetheart! Good gallop?" her father replied.

"Cyan, Cyc's on the intercom!" her mother called.

Cyan rolled her eyes. 'If this is another one of his early morning reports about how lucky he got on at the River Styx, I'll rip his tongue out,' she thought, and went to answer the call in her father's study, that extension being the closest.

"Y'allo!" she greeted cheerfully, as her friend's enormous face appeared on the screen.

At first, Cyc didn't answer, as he just stared at her with a haunted look.

Cyan immediately knew something was up, as Cyc rarely kept silent unless something was terribly wrong.

"Cyc, what's up?" she asked.

Cyc just looked at her. "Have you checked the latest news on the info site?"

Cyan looked blankly at him. "You know I don't look at the news."

"Well, I suggest you do," Cyc replied. "Because _I'm_ on it."

Cyan moaned. "Don't tell me your strip routine got you into the news-casts," she said, thinking for a moment that this was one of his morning vanity reports after all.

"No, not that," Cyc told her, still with none of his usual cockiness or brash humour. "And it's not just me either, but all of my damn family!" With that, he ended the connection suddenly.

Cyan stood where she was, wondering what that had been about.

She activated the screen again, quickly going to the latest reported news. She checked for anything associated with Cyclops, or with Cyc in particular.

There was one report of a Cyclops who had got into a fight with a group of Centaurs for trying to hit on his girlfriend, another group of Cyclopes who were being awarded for all their hard work in constructing the new housing development, and…

Cyan frowned in confusion at the other bit of news… a file that had been uploaded onto the database late last night. She opened the file, reading through it.

Her eyes widened in shock at the contents of the file.

"Hello!" she exclaimed. "This is certainly going to put the Manticore amongst the Cupids, no mistake about that."

She continued reading through the file until she came to the epilogue, if that was what it was called, where the writer had apparently added in some extra notes of his own.

When she finished reading them, she frowned. Then her eyes once again widened in shock, as she remembered Cassy's unusual questions to her the night before.

'_What if I told you that I knew of a possible way that might make some of the Olympians face the truth about their past?'_

"Ohhh, Cassy, please tell me you didn't!"

0000000000

**Taurus' Apartment:**

"No. Until there is an official comment, every one of us has to say, 'no comment'!" Taurus issued orders to Helios while gathering his gear. "Orders from high up. Send everyone available, who isn't a total rookie, out on the streets. It might be silent right now, but that doesn't mean a thing. You can bet it will cause unrest,"

'What was she thinking when she did this?' he wondered. The human girl seemed to be here to make his job difficult. Well, he would have some words with her soon enough.

"All right, boss. I only wonder who would write something like this? It either had to be someone really stupid, or someone who has an axe to grind with that particular house, or all Cyclopes in general. The poor sap better hope he stays anonymous," Helios commented, before cutting the connection.

'You'd be surprised to know who 'he' really is. I can only hope most people don't make the connection...'he thought, while securing his belt.

He knew that, after the first shock, there was guaranteed to be trouble. And to add to it, this incident would probably aggravate the general problem that the intense population growth of the recent decades had caused. More and more Cyclopes were being born into lower classes.

To imagine their frustration now being mixed with this bomb... He had good reason to send only his more experienced officers out on the streets. He wasn't stupid, as he knew that practically all races of New Olympus had skeletons in their closets. However, that wouldn't stop them giving the Cyclopes heat, even if only to divert attention from the deeds of their own ancestors.

'They sit in the glass house and throw around stones,' he thought in bitter sarcasm while finishing his preparations.

Right then, he heard his apartment door open. Looking around, he saw Calypso coming in. "Calypso. Sorry, but I don't have the time..." he stopped when he saw her slightly sick look, and the fact that she'd spilled something over the front of her dress. "What's wrong?"

"I read something I shouldn't have read. Got really shocked. Spilled juice all over myself in the process..." She then saw the offending text on the big screen. "Ah, you've read it, too?"

Taurus nodded his head. "Probably all of the city has by now. I knew that the past wasn't as back-and-white as some want to make us believe. But that's no reason to drag it out into the open like this. What did she think..." He stopped when realising that he had said too much.

"Your human friend? Don't bother denying it, as I had a hutch she was the one behind this. After all, who else has been raped lately?" Letting herself fall into one of the seats, she sighed. Right now she was in her serious-mode. "Why did she do this? Why demolish that family's good reputation like this?"

"I don't know... But I plan to find out by asking her. And I won't accept no as an answer," he growled. After this stunt, he really felt tempted to see the human girl on the receiving end of a strong spanking.

Calypso heard the anger in Taurus' voice. And she knew that, should he approach Cassy like this, he wouldn't get many answers. He'd probably forget himself and do something stupid. While Calypso was disturbed by what the Human girl had done, it didn't affect her the way it affected Taurus, whose job had gotten a lot harder because of it.

"I don't think it is a good idea for you to do it."

"Why?" He instantly regretted the harsh tone, but Calypso didn't seem to take offence.

"Just look at yourself. You're already so stressed you'll never manage to make the girl open up to you. You'll only scare her in your current mood."

He knew that she was right. He would probably say the wrong thing to Cassy, and make the situation worse than it already was. Then he had an idea. "All right... I won't question her. Maybe you can do that. After all, you're too cute to be intimidating."

A light blush appeared on her cheeks. "Oh...Taurus...I... Thanks... You think this'll help to get her to open up to me?"

"That, and the fact that there are very few people as nice as you." Looking to the clock, he shook his head. "Sorry that I can't stay, but I have to clean up this mess before it results in something ugly. Meet me later at the security centre, and tell me why in all the names of the Gods she did it. Bye."

She watched him leave. 'He called me cute and nice... Wow.'

Then she finally composed herself and set her priorities. First, she'd have to change into a clean dress. Then she'd have to walk to Cassy's home. Then she'd have to gently make her talk about why she did what she'd done.

'This is gonna be one of those days where I simply can't hold a smile, no matter how hard I try...'Thankfully there was a distinction between being cheerful and being nice. And being nice was what she needed right now.

After all, the poor girl was probably scared over her rash decision by now. She'd have to be firm, but never get angry with her. She'd once been young as well, and she'd been scared for a week at age ten, after being yelled at by an especially old hag of a Harpy.

Gentle pressure was far better than anger to make her open up.

0000000000

**Boreas' Office; 10:13 AM:**

"Brontes, calm down!" Boreas said to the Cyclops, who right now was pacing in his office, making large earth-shuddering noises as he did so.

The Cyclops had asked for an audience with him, as soon as the office had opened. No wonder, considering the situation his family had found itself in that morning. On his way there, everyone had gotten out of his way. First because they saw that he was in a really foul mood, a clear sign that you shouldn't cross the Cyclops in question. The second reason, he was sure had to do with the diary. Everyone, it seemed, was giving him strange looks, which didn't help to douse his short fuse.

**"Calm?"** he thundered. "You want me to be **CALM**? Easy for you to say, as it's not YOUR family's reputation that got ruined! Especially for something that one of my long-dead ancestors did."

"I know how difficult this is for you. But pull yourself together!" Boreas told him.

Brontes took a deep breath. "Sorry I screamed at you... But the looks I got on the streets... You know my family has always been law abiding. Being pushed into this place hurts."

Boreas knew what Brontes meant. His family had always enjoyed a good reputation. The shortcomings of a few members did not tarnish that image. That was why Cyc's transgressions, that tended to cause embarrassment rather than harm, were treated with leniency.

Boreas hoped he could calm Brontes down before Taurus arrived. He had spoken to the Minotaur earlier and found that his head of security had already begun organizing his troops in case the Cyclops population began to cause problems, or themselves became targets for other New Olympians.

'Despite the fact that no one on this island has any ancestors without any blood on their hands. Even I have dark spots in my ancestry,' he thought, before concentrating on the situation at hand.

"Actually I can imagine quite well how you feel... But first…why did you store these scrolls in your home? You knew the potential danger in them. Why didn't you put them into the vault of the archives like everyone else does with old scripts?" Boreas asked him.

Brontes groaned. "Call it a family tradition. We keep our stuff with ourselves and it's no one's concern what we do with it. Stupid thing is that the scrolls themselves weren't disturbed. No one could read that old stuff anyway. Only that blasted translator!"

"I wonder why she did it... I hope you don't have anything drastic in mind?" he reminded him. He had no wish to see this end in violence.

Brontes snorted. "No way. I won't give anyone a reason to say that we haven't changed since the days of our ancestors." He looked to Boreas, eye to eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely angry with her and probably won't forgive her for stealing from my family and shouting out our family's dishonourable past. She betrayed our trust. But I absolutely refuse to do her any harm. I'm civilized!"

"Let's hope that the other Cyclopes on the island share your view. How did your son take this?" Boreas wanted to know. After all, Cyc probably would take the whole business even more personally.

Brontes again started pacing, shaking his head at the same time. "Really bad. Besides his grave disappointment in her, he blames himself for this fiasco as well. After all, it was him who told her about our history. Right now he doesn't want to leave the house, and I can't blame him."

Boreas leaned back in his giant chair. It was interesting how a single human had managed, by herself, to bring so much chaos into a society that had been stable for over 2000 years. Boreas was willing to admit, if only to himself, that the people needed to face the truth about their shared history, but her methods left much to be desired.

His thoughts were interrupted when Taurus entered his office. "Ah, good. I think you already know Brontes?"

"How can I not?" Taurus said, while looking at the big Cyclops. "After all, he's the head of one of the most well-respected houses of New Olympus."

"_Formerly_ respected would be a better description. You wouldn't believe the looks I got on the streets. You know the brat who did this to us? Can you tell me what she was thinking when dragging the good name of my house through the dirt?" Brontes made no secret of his grief over the betrayal.

"No, not yet. Right now someone is on her way to ask her exactly that. I'll have answers soon enough." Hopefully, Calypso would succeed.

"I hope you don't take this wrong, Brontes, but I have to go through some important matters with Chief Taurus. The effects of this revelation could cause some serious security risks," Boreas excused himself.

"I need to go anyway. There are some other places I have to be. Damage control, you understand? Hopefully, I can salvage some of what's left of our family's good name." He then left without any further words. The other two politely ignored what would, under other circumstances, have been a rude exit.

"I wouldn't want to trade places with him," Taurus remarked after he had gone.

0000000000

**Cassy and Manty's Apartment; Same Time:**

Cassy had sat in her room since speaking to Manty, rarely coming out except to use the lavatory or to get something to eat. She had spent the whole time wondering just how stupid she had been.

How could she have been so naïve and idiotic to have posted some of Cyc's family's personal history all over the island? She had not only betrayed one of her closest friend's trust, but had tarnished his and his kin's reputation.

Cassy moaned, wishing she were old enough to drink so that she could get herself too drunk to care.

So far she hadn't had any calls from anyone, meaning either that New Olympus didn't know she was the one that had uploaded the ancient Greek woman's biography, or they were too disgusted with her to call. Since Olympians had never really cared much about what she had done, and had gone for any excuse to take a swing at her, she guessed it wasn't the latter.

When the doorbell rang, she knew what it meant. 'Should I open the door? I have no idea who it could be.'

Whoever it was, he or she was persistent and obviously knew she was home. Cassy knew that simply doing nothing wouldn't make whomever it was go away. Moving to the front door, she opened it, only to be greeted with the face of a blue Naiad maiden.

"Calypso?" She was the last person she'd expected to show up on her doorstep.

"Hello, Cassy," Calypso greeted her pleasantly, though there was a hard look in her eyes. "May I come in? We need to talk."

Cassy could only nod, and stepped aside to let her in.

"I suppose you know why I am here?"

Cassy sighed. "The newest file on the island's website, I'm guessing."

"Correct," the Naiad replied, turning to face her. "Taurus wanted to come down here and question you himself, but I convinced him otherwise." She grimaced. "Let's just say that his mood at the time was not the best one for questioning."

Cassy nodded, grateful for the Naiad's intervention. At the moment, facing Taurus would almost be worse than facing Cyc, and she couldn't blame him for being angry.

"But don't think I'm going to let you off the hook so easily, young lady!" she then snapped. "You tell me, and you tell me right now, just what in Tartarus did you think you were doing?"

Cassy winced. "That's just it," she said silently. "I wasn't thinking at all."

"What do you mean?" She hadn't expected this for an answer.

Cassy sighed again, and began telling the Naiad about how it had all started, when Cyc had first told her about his ancestor and the human woman to make her feel better. When Achilles had raped her she had felt like she had been left to deal with the trauma alone. Finding that diary straight after had left her feeling a kinship with the ancient Greek woman.

"I can understand all that, believe me," Calypso admitted. "But why on earth would you publish it on the data site?"

Cassy grimaced. "Because of what they said at the Gathering."

"Huh?"

"The Gathering, when they began shouting about how all the humans had mistreated their ancestors, the wrongs they had done, and the pain and misery they caused. Not once did they ever mention about the things that their ancestors had done to the humans, and I know they did! The diary I published is direct proof of that!"

"So this was all about making your kind look better?" Calypso asked in confusion.

"No, not completely," Cassy frowned, trying to explain it better. "I know that a lot of what they say about my kind is true. Hell, for all I know it is all completely true, but… There's more than one side to a story, Calypso. The diary reveals that when it speaks of how the Cyclopes kidnapped the human women to use as incubators for their species."

Calypso looked unsure, but at least she was listening.

"In war, _everyone_ is a victim," Cassy told her. "Not just the Olympians, but the humans as well. During the war, each side must have committed endless atrocities against the other. Both of them had equal hate for each other, so it stands to reason that they would want to cause each side as much pain as possible."

Cassy groaned. "I… I just wanted to show everyone that humans were not the only ones to blame. I never wanted to hurt Cyc, let alone his whole family. I just wanted the people to know that in war, _everyone_ is to blame, not just one side."

Calypso sighed. "I believe you, Cassy," she said honestly, making the human look up at her in surprise. "And, believe it or not, I do think you're right about making the island wake up to the reality that not all their ancestors were the innocent victims as they've let themselves believe for so long. Even my own people's ancestors had their dark sides."

That was news to Cassy. She hadn't found much about the Naiads. They were one of the few races on New Olympus physically closest to humans, so she also couldn't imagine what the ancient Naiad could've done. She listened though, as Calypso continued.

"You probably didn't read about it. It's not as prominent as the notorious deeds of the Centaurs, but bad enough. The humans of old did not have much care about where they disposed of their garbage and filth. Usually, it ended up right in the rivers, namely where the Naiads lived."

'Not much different from today,' Cassy thought, remembering hearing about the threats of oil slicks and pollution in waters before she came to New Olympus.

"So my ancestors roamed the rivers near human settlements," Calypso continued. "There they would prey on civilians they would pull in and drown. They didn't care if it was man, woman… or sometimes even a child." She shuddered. "Needless to say, it didn't help their reputation."

Cassy blinked, shocked. "That's..." She couldn't find words.

"Yes, I know. Hard to believe... But you're right in stating that not all Olympians were the 'innocent victims' they claim to be... BUT... I do think you should have found a better way of doing it instead of how you did! Or at the very least gotten your friend's permission before broadcasting his family's darkest secret to the whole island?"

She looked uncertain, as she said that, but then just shook her head, continuing. "But what's done is done now, so there's no point in crying about it. What we do have to do now, though, is figure out what to do next. All of New Olympus is in an uproar and out for blood, especially the Cyclopes. Your friend's family is getting the brunt of it for now, but it won't be long before all Cyclopes are being given the cold shoulder."

"I know, I know!" Cassy said, exasperated. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do! I never should have done this in the first place, I know that, but like you said it's over and done with now. So what am I supposed to do?"

Calypso frowned, chewing on her lower lip. "Well, for now, how about we tackle just one problem at a time?"

Cassy looked up at her.

"For now, how about we start with those who you've hurt the most?"

0000000000

**Security Centre; Half An Hour Later:**

Taurus listened to the unusual silence. Sitting at his desk, he couldn't help but notice this, since normally the security centre was always bustling with activity. Right now, the only people in the building besides him were a bunch of new recruits for deskwork.

The silence was also a reminder of how thinly spread their resources were at the moment. Achilles had cost them a lot of good people, and with everyone experienced out on the streets, it only left the greenest of the recruits to do the desk jobs. They'd need months to recover from the losses, and even longer to again have a reasonably strong number of reservists.

And while his meeting with Boreas had gone smoothly enough, the news on his desk was less good. First, a group of low-class Cyclops youths had been in a serious brawl with other youths in a restaurant, the reason was insults based on this damn text. Result: the owner now needed a new front window and all new furniture.

Then there was vandalism on the statue of Cygnus, a great Cyclops that had lived 400 years ago. Unknown culprits had defaced it.

The most bizarre case was from a beauty pallor: One of the islands very, very few rare female Cyclopes had taken offence at the trash-talking her people got from an old Harpy-hag. The security forces had to taser her to stop her from crushing the Harpy like a soda can.

And the worst part was, it wasn't even noon yet. Taurus felt a headache building.

"You don't look so good."

Looking up, he saw Calypso standing in the open door. "I have no reason to," he replied. "Since this whole mess started, I've had everyone available out on the streets and we are still shorthanded. I just hope that you had more success than I."

"Depends on how you describe success... If you mean _did I learn why she did it_, then yes," she told him, while sitting down in a chair facing his desk. "To make it short, she'd snapped after listening to too many hypocrites sounding off about the past and just wanted prove them wrong. Only afterwards did she realise that it could create serious trouble."

"Perfect." That was another addition to the huge heap of things to make his day miserable. "An ignorant teenager causing damage. Does she at least realise what she has done?"

"She does. Even more after I was done with making it clear that this will hurt many people. Good thing it wasn't you. Even I was tempted to yell at her."

Taurus sighed. "What now?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Cassy knows now that what she did was wrong, but that doesn't begin to make up for it, and it certainly won't help clean up all the mess that's started because of it."

"Any idea how we can do that? Because frankly, I'm up for any suggestions, no matter how good or bad."

Calypso just gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I got nothing."

"Swell," the Minotaur groaned. "Absolutely swell."

0000000000

**Cyc's Residence; 11:33AM:**

Cyan sat beside Cyc on his bed, patting his flank with affection, trying to comfort him.

"How could she do this to me, Cyan?" her one-eyed friend asked her, his tone pleading. "After everything we've been to each other over the years, all our years of friendship… for her to turn around and stab me right in the back like this!"

"I'm sure it wasn't anything like that, Cyc," Cyan insisted. "Cassy's a good person, she just… I guess she just didn't think this thing through thoroughly enough."

"Think it through?" Cyc glared at her. "What was there to think through? She stole from me, plain and simple!"

"I know," Cyan groaned, not wanting to reveal what she was about to. "Look. Cyc… there's something you need to know. I… "

Suddenly, the door-chime rang, indicating someone at the door.

Cyan sighed, relieved that her revelation had been delayed and exasperated for the same thing. "I would offer to go answer it for you," she said sheepishly. "But, by the time I got there and found a high enough stack of boxes to stand on to reach the door… "

"Yeah, yeah," Cyc grumbled, rising up from the bed to go see whom it was. He reached the door, activating it on the viewscreen that stood beside it, as the door-panel slid open. He was already looking down because it was very rare when other Cyclops, or at least those of his species own size, would come visit them unless there was a party.

His one eye looked ready to burst, as he saw who was standing there below him.

"Hello, Cyc?" Cassy said nervously, fidgeting about uneasily.

The veins in Cyc's head were, like his father, bulging out of sheer pressure, as he glared down at his former friend. Part of him was real eager to raise one of his feet now and bring it down, crushing the little human where she stood.

"Cassy," he hissed beneath his breath at her. "Unless you wanna end up as a stain beneath my foot, I strongly suggest you make like a tree and leave!"

From the way her fidgeting worsened, it looked like that was the one thing she wished to do most of all, but for some reason she stayed where she was. "Can we talk?" she said feebly.

"Talk?" Cyc snarled. "I think we're a little past talking, don't you?"

"Please…" she near pleaded. "I just want to… "

"Want to what, Cassy?" Cyc all but exploded, as he reached down and grabbed her in his one hand, nearly crushing the life out of her. "Want to come in and look for anymore dark secrets my family have been keeping since time began? Want to find them and then put them on display so that everyone can see them and call us descendants of monsters?"

Cassy cringed. "I'm sorry, Cyc. Truly I am, but… "

"**SORRY?" **Cyc shouted.** "YOU THINK SORRY CAN…!" **

"**CYC!"** Cyan's voice thundered from down below him, where she was kicking his ankle with furious desperation to get his attention. "Cyc, you brainless lummox! Put her down, **RIGHT NOW**!"

The young Cyclops glared down at his Centaur friend, but his truly hateful glare was reserved only for Cassy. Finally, he calmed a little, and lowered Cassy slowly to the ground. Whether it was because he was being careful or if he was still deciding if he should release her or crush her in his hand was unclear even to him.

He eventually dropped her on the ground, but the intensity of his glare didn't diminish.

"I think we'd better go in and discuss this," Cyan suggested.

"I am NOT having her in my house!" Cyc declared.

"Cyc! We need to talk this out, whether you like it or not," Cyan stared intensely at him. "Look, Cassy must know how you're feeling now, but she still came all this way just to talk. That's gotta mean something, doesn't it?"

The Cyclops clenched and unclenched his fists in barely suppressed anger, but finally he relented, stepping aside. "Come in then, but be quick about it!"

Cassy walked inside, but no sooner had she stepped through the doorway…

***BOOM!***

Cassy shrieked, as Cyc's foot slammed down barely a few inches away from her.

"**CYC!"** Cyan yelled.

"Sorry," Cyc said in a flat tone. "Accident."

Cyan hurried Cassy in, making sure she was well ahead of Cyc's foot, until they were safely in the Cyclops's bedroom.

"Okay," Cyan started, as Cyc flopped down on his bed, making the room shudder as he did. "Now, we all know why we're here, so let's make a start, shall we? Cyc, you willing to listen?"

The Cyclops didn't answer, but just gave a barely suppressed snarl, idly checking his nails.

"I'll take that as a yes," the Centaur replied. "Okay, Cassy girl, you're the one who came here, so the stage is all yours. I think Cyc deserves a reason as to why you stole from him and everything, so give him one… _And for the love of Zeus, make it good._" She added silently.

Cassy took a deep breath, staring up at her friend, as he crossed his arms, looking down on her sternly. This whole scenario made her feel as she had when she was in trouble with her father, despite the fact that Cyc was her age.

"I… " she started, but couldn't help stuttering. "I wish I could give a good reason for doing what I did… but I can't, Cyc." She cringed. "What I did to you was wrong, and I'm really, really sorry."

"And that's supposed to make it all right?" Cyc bellowed, almost astoundingly. "Because of you, my whole race are now outcasts of all New Olympus, and my family is getting all the blame!"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" Cassy pleaded near desperately. "I just… I never intended to take the diary away with me, and I certainly never intended to announce it to the whole island. I… I… "

"**I WHAT?"** His roar made Cassy, and even Cyan, step back momentarily in fear.

"When I took the diary, I never planned to show it to anyone," Cassy tried to explain. "It was not too long after my… _ordeal_ with Achilles. You, Cyan and everyone was trying to help me, but the truth is, I had never felt more lost and alone than I had ever felt before in my whole life." She looked close to tears. "As far as I know, no one in centuries had been raped on New Olympus, if ever, so I had no one to talk with about it. And then… then I found the diary."

She paused for a few moments. Cyan allowed her time to get her thoughts in order, while Cyc just continued staring at her, his face a blank.

"The woman in it and I were born thousands of years apart," Cassy continued. "Yet we both had our bodies and lives violated, and thus were connected by that same trauma. I swear to you, Cyc, I never had any intention of showing it to anyone! I only wanted to read it and then return it once I had finished."

"So why didn't you?" he hissed below his breath, which sounded like a large steam engine.

Cassy paused, blinking back a few tears. "One thing happened after another, and then suddenly the Gathering occurred," she told both her friends. "When we were at the Senate, I listened to everyone going on about how their ancestors were wronged by Humans. I know the humans did all that they say, but… Cyc, your family's own heirloom proves that that is not the only story! It states that some of the original Olympians were just as responsible for the war back then, as the humans were."

Cyc frowned deeply, but at least he seemed to have stopped clenching his fists in fury. "That still didn't give you the right to go through my family's possessions, steal and then publicly show them to the entire island!" he snarled. "Because of you, my father, cousin and I are now the island's biggest outcasts!"

"Not just because of her, Cyc!" Cyan suddenly spoke up, earning a confused look from her one-eyed friend. "I convinced her to go ahead with it!"

Cyc's eye practically bulged out of his head at her. "_You knew_?"

Cyan shook her head. "I didn't know that she had taken something from _you_, but she told me that she had something belonging to a friend of hers. She also told me that if she did what she did then she might lose this good friend, but… she also told me what she was doing it for." She sighed. "I told her that I thought she was doing the right thing, and that she should go ahead with it."

At Cyc's glare, she hurriedly said… "Cyc, Cassy did wrong in stealing from you, there's no question about that, but... I believe she was right in showing the diary to everyone, no matter how she got it. And even if I had known that it was you she had stolen from, I would still tell her to go ahead with it. "

"**YOU'RE TAKING HER SIDE?" **

"Yes," Cyan cringed at his roar. "Look, I know how this sounds, but hear me out, okay? When Cassy was talking to me about this certain artefact that she had got, she told me that she believed if she revealed the truth about Olympus' history, then it could mean helping our people to awaken to the idea of maybe making contact with the outside world."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything, Cyc," Cyan explained. "Come on, Cyc, you know as well as I do that our people have got low tolerance for anything human. Cassy herself is a perfect example. She's lived here with our kind half of her life, she's a good person and practically one of us, and yet they still treat her like scum, all because of what race she belongs to. And what's the source of all this hatred, but a feud that ended thousands of years ago. If they treat someone like her that way, then what hope do we have of making peace with the rest of the humans in the world?"

"That still didn't give her the rig…!"

"Oh, enough about you and your pride, Cyc!" Cyan suddenly screamed. "Yes, I've already admitted that she did wrong by you, but this isn't about you or even your whole kind anymore! This is about New Olympus and all our futures put together!"

Cyc went quiet, a rare thing for him, Cassy fell silent as well, as their Centaur friend continued yelling.

"There's no way our people can continue hiding from the humans! Talos himself said that their technology is progressing too quickly! It won't be long, if much time at all, when they're finally able to see past our cloaking device, and then what? If the rest of the isle still thinks as they do now, we'll all be at war faster than you can say _Hail Zeus_!"

She paused for a moment, before she added "And let me tell you, they don't even need to set foot on the island. After everything I learned, they pretty much have the ability to completely burn the island to a crisp with their weapons from afar."

Cyc frowned again, but this time he was now also looking thoughtful and a little fearful, because deep down he knew Cyan was speaking the truth. He'd also never lost any thought that mankind could get their hands on such destructive powers. The idea was actually intimidating.

"Nothing I can do can make up for what I've done to you, Cyc, or your family," Cassy then spoke again. "But please try to understand _why_ I did it. New Olympus is running out of time. It won't be long before humans discover our home."

"And how is revealing my family's dark secret supposed to help?"

"Because it shows that not all Olympians were as innocent as they once believed."

"And they were not the only ones," Cyan added. As Cyc and Cassy stared at her, she revealed continued. "As you know, my kind are more heavily affected by alcohol than other beings, that's why we're denied it. But in ancient times, my ancestors drank fine wine daily as if there were no tomorrow, and the consequences were often fatal to a lot of humans."

Cassy didn't bother asking what had happened, as she could guess. She had read about Greek myths and legends concerning the Centaurs before arriving upon New Olympus all those years ago. She had almost forgotten them, believing them to be nothing but tales made up by Greek play-writers, but now she began to think they might not have been so far fetched after all.

Centaurs were said to be a wild and lustful race, carrying off helpless women to rape, attacking people and delivering a lot of carnage.

"And I'm sure they were not the only ones," Cassy explained. "Boreas once told me of the Harpies who ate the flesh of men when they were too hungry or angry. If these three races had secrets to hide, then who's to say that any of the other Olympians were anymore innocent?"

Cyc and Cyan said nothing, but stood silently, with Cyc looking down at his feet, with Cyan looking up at him. Cassy said nothing more. She simply waited, staring at the both of them.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Cyc looked over at Cassy. "I don't know if I can forgive you totally for what you did, Cassy," he said hesitantly. "You hurt my family pretty bad. Hell, you hurt my whole race by smiting our reputations, but… I do understand why you did it now." He then grinned at her. "Besides, you know me… I'm too lazy to hold a grudge."

Cassy smiled, but did not approach her friend, knowing that it would still be a while before the two of them ever got that far back in their friendship again.

So instead, she simply said, "Thank you."

They remained still for a further few more minutes before Cyc, loathing the silence, finally broke it. "So… what do we do now?"

There was a loud bang, as the front door to the Cyclops' household opened and closed.

"Cyc, I'm home!" Brontes' voice thundered in, making Cassy shudder.

"I think we'd better rewind and start all over again, Cass," Cyan mused. "Cos now we've got Brontes to deal with, not to mention Orin, too."

Cassy groaned.

0000000000

**Senate House; Three Days Later**

It had been a few days since the notorious diary had found its way onto the information website of New Olympus, exposing the darkest chapter in Cyclopes history. There had still been no official word regarding who had uploaded the file or why, but the search was continuing.

Some sort of order had now, thankfully, been restored on the island. There was still a lot of hostility between the populations, but at least there had been no more incidents requiring Taurus's security force.

For some reason, Boreas had ordered another Gathering to be held immediately. News had reached all corners of New Olympus that the Senate meeting was to be held in precisely two days time, giving everyone able to attend time to plan.

The whole of New Olympus sat or stood in their various places, wondering what was going on and why Boreas had ordered the meeting. But they were in for an even more astounding sight.

Cassandra Williams, the human girl, stood in the centre of the Senate House, alongside Boreas himself.

The human looked very nervous for some reason, but still determined. She looked around, eyeing Taurus who stood off to the side, as always at the Senate, ready for any kind of trouble that might occur during the meeting.

The Minotaur gave her a friendly nod, seemingly encouraging her, which gave her some strength, as she took a deep breath and took one step forward.

Boreas raised his hand, silencing the crowd, indicating the beginning of the session.

"As many of you know, a few days ago a file was uploaded to the New Olympus database!" Cassy announced. "The file detailed an incident that occurred many centuries ago, involving a young human woman and the Cyclops who abducted her from her home!"

This announcement caused many in the crowd to start eyeing some of the Cyclopes dangerously, but before anyone could begin shouting or throwing accusations or insults at one another, she spoke again.

"I was the one who uploaded that file."

The uproar from the crowd was immediate.

"_FILTHY HUMAN!" _

"_I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS HER!" _

"_DESPICABLE LIAR!"_

Boreas held up his hand again, requesting order from the crowd, but this time the people's shouts were unrelenting. "SILENCE!" he finally bellowed, demanding obedience from his people, unleashing an almighty display of lightning from his staff.

His lightning display silenced the crowd, but there were still many looks of hatred on their faces, as they glared down on the lone human.

"People of New Olympus!" Boreas spoke in a strong but calm voice. "Before any of you say anything further, be aware that everything you read in that file was sadly accurate! There really was a human woman who was abducted by a Cyclops of the ancient Olympians! But that was thousands of years ago, so let us not dwell on the past any longer!"

He then looked down to the young human, eyeing her firmly. "Cassy," he told her. "I think it would do us all good if you were to tell us what it was you were thinking when you uploaded that file."

Cassy gulped, but nodded. "To be honest, My Lord Boreas, I'm not sure _thinking_ was the first nor even the last thing I was doing."

"Explain."

She sighed. "As anyone who reads the news knows," she explained. "Recently, I myself was attacked and raped by a rogue New Olympian called Achilles."

There was a chorus of mutters, most of which seemed to be disagreeing with her statement that Achilles was a New Olympian.

"_He was no Olympian!" _

"_He was… "_

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CALL HIM!" Cassy suddenly shouted with a voice that surprised even her. "He may not have been conceived or born in the traditional way that the rest of you were, but it doesn't matter! No matter how he was conceived, or what he did… He was still of your race! Nothing you say or do will ever change that! SO GET OVER IT!"

Her outburst silenced the crowd, and they stared at her, almost speechless.

"Miss Williams is quite correct!" Boreas confirmed. "No matter what your feelings, it does not bode well when we begin to deny those of our own people! Achilles may have been guilty of many things, but he was not to blame for how he appeared or how he was born! He was no more responsible for that than each of us were responsible for the colour of our eyes or the size of our noses!"

The New Olympians stayed mostly silent, but there was a definite grumbling amongst them, begrudgingly accepting Boreas's words, though obviously none liked the idea of something such as Achilles being considered part of their people, particularly the Centaurs and Minotaurs.

"And despite what he did or may have done!" he continued. "Whether any of us wish to deny it or not, it does not matter! He was and forever shall be a New Olympian, one of us! The only reason we knew not of him was because of his parents who, for reasons that only they knew, kept his existence a secret!"

Boreas had no desire to go into the details of the monsters that Achilles' parents, the respected Senator Raon and his wife, truly were. They were survived by their only daughter, Achilles' sister, and he didn't want to besmirch her family name and cause her any further grief than was necessary. The people already had a clear idea of what kind of life Achilles must have had, so there was no need to go into it now.

"Continue with your story, Miss Williams," he added. "Please."

Cassy sighed. "I… I didn't want to admit it, but I was having a hard time dealing with what I went through." She looked over at where her guardian, Manty, was watching from over at the side of the Senate. He gave her a small smile, his eyes full of tears, showing his support and urging her on. "No one yet knows the full details and horrors of what he put me through, and many _never_ will!"

She said the last part with a hard edge, indicating that she had no desire, nor any intention, of giving them any of the sordid details of that part of her life.

"Partly because I found it hard to talk to anyone about it," she explained. "And also because there was no one who could possibly know what I was going through." She looked at them all sadly. "One of the greatest things you Olympians have about you is that you've never had a case such as mine. Mainly because on an island this small, it would be hard for any villain to commit such a crime without being found out."

She swallowed. "However, when it did happen to me, then that meant there was no one for me to talk to about it. I was the only known case of such an act, so it was impossible for me to discuss with anyone. I mean, how could I? How could anyone possibly know what I was going through?" She stared at all of the gathered Olympians, giving them a moment to consider this before continuing.

"I tried talking with my family, my friends, and that's when… " She paused, looking into the crowd, near the top of the Senate where Cyc, his father Brontes and Orin his cousin were sitting. They were all still looking at her with harsh looks on their faces, but there was a sense of concern mixed in as well. She had talked it through with them, explaining the reasons for her theft, and although she had a long way to go before she attained their forgiveness, they at least understood _why_ she had done it.

"… That's when I went to my friend, Cyc. He offered me a place to crash, to chat, and while he was out of the room, I found… " The lump in her throat seemed to be getting bigger. No matter how she tried to reason with it now, she knew she had stolen from her friend, and to her there was no bigger or worse crime. "… I found the file, which I eventually uploaded to the island's database."

"Why?" Boreas asked.

"When I first took it, I never had any intention of letting anyone else see it!" she insisted. "When I read the thoughts and feelings of the woman who had been… _violated_. I felt as if I had found a kindred spirit in some way. Although we were born thousands of years apart, we had gone through the same trauma, and it was… comforting, I suppose you could say, to read about someone who knew what I was going through."

"And it was never your intention to reveal it to anyone else?" Boreas asked to confirm what she previously said again.

"No, I had every intention to return it once I had finished reading it. But then Achilles escaped and this Gathering started and everything, and… And I guess I just got too caught up with everything to remember."

"So why did you eventually upload it then?"

Cassy chewed her lower lip. "It was right after the first Gathering happened, when everyone was all talking about what to do about the humans finding out about us."

"What did that have to do with anything?"

She sighed. "When I say talking about it, I mean more like human bashing!" She looked around the crowd of faces staring or glaring at her. "Virtually everyone was talking about everything that the humans had done to their ancestors centuries ago! How they were wronged, hunted and killed! I have lived with their hatred of my kind since I first came to New Olympus, but this time… It was different!"

"How so?"

She looked up at him, her eyes hard and staring. "Because now I know different!"

She looked back at the rest of the Olympians, her eyes not losing their defiant stare. "You all claim that humanity wronged your kind thousands of years ago! I'm not denying that, as I'm sure it is true! But I also know that as much as the original Olympians must have suffered, they weren't the only victims either!"

The Olympians glares intensified, but the hard look Boreas gave them, and the tapping of his fingers on his lightning staff, kept them quiet for the moment.

"As Boreas just told you, what you read in the file is all true. There was a woman from centuries ago who was raped by the Cyclopes," she confirmed. "Everything else in the file, about the Cyclops Polyphemus, his intense hatred of humanity, his defilement and slaughter of others, was also accurate. And if something like this could be done, then who's to say that many of the Olympians did not do other things just as bad?"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" one young male Naiad cried out from the top seats. "My Ancestors never…!"

"Oh, get over yourself!" a female voice yelled out at him. Cassy didn't need to see her to recognise the voice of Calypso. "I'm a Naiad, too, and I know full well the sordid details of our species' ancestors, kid! And let me tell you, as the humans would say, they were definitely no saints!"

The younger Naiad stared at her in shock, not knowing what to say. If she were any other Olympian, he would be shouting the whole Senate down in rage, denying the accusations to protect his species' honour. But the fact that the one speaking was a fellow Naiad changed things considerably, for how could he deny it when the one proclaiming it was of his race?

"She's not the only one with skeletons in her family's closet!" another female voice, Cyan, shouted. "My race were well known for being fond of wine, and whenever drunk they would raid human villages, attacking all in their path!"

As the two females revealed what their own species had kept secret for centuries, Cyc was uncommonly silent. His family secret had of course already been revealed. He had to admit that he was immensely relieved to see two other people voluntarily revealing their own species' past misdeeds, because that took at least some of the heat off his own kin.

Many in the crowd still shouted, loudly decrying the human girl's claims, but they were fewer and quieter than they had been before. The recent revelations from their own fellow Olympians had stunned many of them into silence. Some were shocked; unable to fathom the idea that some of their people's ancestors could have been in the wrong concerning the humans.

It didn't last long however

"_That doesn't excuse what the humans did to us though!"_ the middle-aged Gorgon, Echidna, shouted out venomously.

"_Yes! They had our ancestors hunted down and slain like dogs!" _

"_They're monsters!" _

"SILENCE!" Boreas demanded, slamming his staff once more to the ground, eliciting another light show to silence them. "If we are to ever come to a decision today then we must have peace! Sitting here, quarrelling like children, is not going to solve anything!"

The crowd quieted, but from the looks on their faces Boreas knew it would not be long before they started up again, so he pushed on.

"Before we discuss anything further," he told them. "We all need to face the facts about something, and that is, as much as you may all wish to deny it, not everything we have heard about the humans is entirely accurate." He looked down at Cassy. "Perhaps this human did the right thing for the wrong reason, however foolish it may have seemed."

His pale blue eyes swept over the crowd. "For too long, we have all lived with the simple belief that our ancestors were the victims, and the humans the aggressors. Maybe that was true at the beginning, but one thing is certain; our ancestors were not completely without blame!"

He waited a moment, as he let his words soak in; their faces clearly reflected their hurt and betrayal. Boreas seemed to be taking the human's side in dishonouring their ancestor's memory.

"You've all heard what has been revealed about the Naiad, the Centaur and the Cyclopes' past. You now know that our history is not as black and white as you've let yourselves believe. Our ancestors were victimised by the humans, that much is clear, but one thing is also clear… and that is that whatever the humans did to them, they certainly did not take it without giving some back! Like anyone would have done in their place, many of them likely fought back, and some probably followed the human's example, seeking revenge."

Echidna looked especially angry, glaring at Boreas with true hatred in her reddened eyes.

"No one is truly perfect," Boreas announced. "You all know of Proteus, the shapeshifter, he who was a fellow Olympian, who turned murderer and attempted to escape our island to wreak havoc on the world. And Achilles, the offspring of a Minotaur and Centaur who was conceived not in the traditional way, which led him to being brutally sectioned his entire life by his own family, resulting in him having a damaged psyche… If acts such as these can be committed on our own beloved island, in the modern day, then who is to say that our ancestors did not do equally terrible thousands of years ago?"

The New Olympians all sat sullenly in their seats, none of them daring to look Boreas in the eye, the truth of his words ringing in their ears. Many of them had always known the awful truth, that some of their ancestors had committed atrocities of their own, but they had spent so long burying that truth that they had almost forgotten it… until now.

"I know many of you bear secrets of your family or species," Boreas added. "But know this… Our ancestors were at war with the humans for many years before they left to found our island paradise, and war has a nasty tendency to soil even the most noble of beings with its ugly tendrils. Anyone who's lived through a war and says they've come out of it unscathed is either insane or a liar."

"What purpose does this all serve anyway?" Echidna complained loudly. "Even if what you say is all true, what possible reason is there for dragging it all up now?"

"The purpose is, as Cassy herself here wrote, to force us to face that ugly truth. If we don't learn from the mistakes of our past, then we are doomed to repeat them!" Boreas declared. "We have spent too long blaming the humans for something that ended centuries ago. It is time to forgive and look to the future."

"You cannot seriously expect us to…!" she started to protest, but Boreas interrupted her too quickly.

"You can and you will!" he said sternly, and then, looking at the rest of the crowd, he added. "You ALL will! I know it will not be easy to forget all the hatred and anger you have amassed for the humans, as your forefathers have done before you, but you must try! If we are to have any hope for the future then first we have to put the past behind us."

"He's right!" Cassy suddenly shouted, adding her own voice. "If not, then what hope do you have for co-existing with my people when they eventually find you?"

Everyone, including Boreas, looked down at the little human momentarily in surprise, having almost forgotten she was there since Boreas had started talking.

"If the humans do dare come here, then we will make sure they live to regret it!" Helios declared, slamming his fist into his open hand.

"And what do you think they will do in retaliation, fool?" one of the high council, Xylon, retorted.

"You severely underestimate our city's defences, Xylon!" Echidna rebuked.

"And you _overestimate_ them, Echidna!"

"Peace!" Boreas demanded. "What Xylon says makes sense! Echidna, Helios, you are correct in stating that should the humans try to invade us, we would no doubt fight back well. Our technology is undoubtedly more advanced that anything the humans currently possess, but… No matter how advanced we maybe, the humans still outnumber us millions to one. If it ever did come to war, I seriously doubt we would last long."

"Assuming the humans want war in the first place!" Cassy insisted. She knew she was putting a lot of faith in her own race, but deep down she was a little frustrated with the Olympian's assumption that the humans would come to fight. Yes, she admitted, they could fight, but they could also come just to talk. No one could predict the future, not even the New Olympians. "You're all talking about war, but the humans could just want to talk!"

Echidna scoffed. "Since when have humans ever wanted to _just talk_?"

Cassy glared at her. "_I_ have for starters! And I believe there maybe many other humans like me. You also told me once of another human, Elisa Maza, who came to your island years ago. You treated her as an outcast, wretched and hated, yet she risked her life to save all of yours. And I have lived most on my life here on your island, and although many of you don't want to admit it, I have grown up in your culture, so that makes me one of you, whether you like it or not."

Judging by the looks on their faces, it was clear many of them did NOT like it.

"If two humans you've just met could turn out to be friends, then who's to say you won't find any more? There are billions of humans out there in the world, billions of people the same as Elisa Maza and I. And I'm not saying they will _all_ be the same as us, but like Boreas here just revealed, you can't judge a whole race from the actions of a few. There are kindred spirits out there, but we've got to look for them and give them a chance… Or else…we won't have any allies for when the evil humans _do_ come and find us."

"_She is correct,"_ the electronic voice of Talos sounded behind her. He stepped forth into the limelight of the Senate, his glowing red eyes staring straight ahead. _"I gave warning of this many years ago. The human's technology is progressing at a faster rate than even I anticipated. Our clocking device will not be effective for very much longer. It was only by pure chance that I was able to prevent the humans' satellite scans from locating us, but I cannot promise that I will be so fortunate next time." _

"Which just goes to prove that we must act now!" Cassy demanded. "We can't stay hidden anymore, and we can't wage war on the human world without there being serious repercussions to us! So we need to start making allies!"

"And it's not just for your own good that she advises this!" another new voice spoke up.

Cassy looked up beyond the top seats, to the outer pillars. There she saw Sphinx, the leader of the New Olympian Gargoyles.

Echidna gave a small sneer at the sight of the Gargoyle female. Although Gargoyles were not considered full members of New Olympus, as they chose to isolate themselves, the decision that they were there concerned _all_ of them.

"And what good would revealing ourselves to the humans do you, Gargoyle?" she asked snidely. "Your race is all but extinct, thanks to them! You'll be lucky they don't pick up where their ancestors left off!"

Sphinx's eyes glowed red in anger, but she kept her composure and answered calmly and patiently. "Perhaps, but as Cassy and Boreas said, we cannot judge the many by the actions of the few! Besides, their ancestors were obviously not all successful, as some Gargoyles survived, as made evident by the arrival of the outsider Goliath!"

Echidna snorted. "Only three Gargoyles, Sphinx!"

"Three from a _clan_!" the Gargoyle leader reminded her. "And is it not true that Goliath mentioned that he and his companions had met other Gargoyles during their travels? That there are other clans out there, somewhere in the world!"

Echidna looked like she was grinding her fangs, but she slowly nodded her head, acknowledging that what Sphinx said was true.

"Anyone who knows of us should also know that my clan is close to death," Sphinx announced. "The centuries of isolation on this island has reduced us through too much inbreeding, so now my clan has reached the end of its time! We need to go out and find fresh blood, new Gargoyles for us to mate with and bring forth a new generation of warriors! If we don't then our clan's nights are ended!"

"But even if what you all say about our past is true!" one of the Olympians from the crowd, a young male Satyr, shouted, "Humanity has proven itself untrusting throughout history, and not just to us and Gargoyles! They also fight amongst themselves! How can we possibly trust a race that fears and fights amongst its own kind?"

"You raise an interesting point, friend," Boreas admitted. "But as we just made clear here, our own people are far from perfect. Achilles, his family and Proteus are prime examples of that."

"A mere few from an island of thousands, out of our thousands of years of history, Lord Boreas," the Satyr protested. "That is not enough to suggest that we are too much like the humans. Humanity, on the other hand, seems to breed more liars, traitors, cheats and cutthroat killers every day, as they have always done!"

Numerous cries of agreement soon followed this Olympian's comment, and even Boreas had to admit he had a valid point.

"Perhaps," came Taurus' deep voice. He had remained quiet until that point in the debate. "But you are forgetting one very important point, my friends, and that is… We simply have no choice!" He stared at them all. "Part of me wishes that we could continue living here on our island in secret. For, although my time with Miss Maza and Miss Williams has taught me not to believe the worst in humans, I still do not believe the majority would react well to us."

He sighed. "Sadly, remaining hidden is no longer possible. Our home will be discovered, Talos has made that clear. We cannot go to war with the outside world, we cannot continue hiding, and Lady Sphinx is correct, if we try then her clan has two generations left at most." He held his head up high. "With all this in mind, we are left with one and only one option. We must try and open negotiations with the human world. At least that way we can make some allies to aid us in the trials ahead."

The scowls that greeted his assessment of their situation made it clear that no one could contest to his logic. As much as they hated it, they were left with no other recourse. Humanity was coming, whether they liked it or not.

Boreas nodded. "Does anyone here have anymore comments they wish to make?"

More than a few looked to Echidna, as her hatred for humans was well known. As expected, her face was contorted in fury, her eyes flashing red and her fangs bore, as though wanting to rip something, anything, apart. Her answer surprised everyone though, regardless of the difficulty with which it came…

"_I… __**concur**__,"_ she slowly hissed out.

Practically half of the New Olympian's mouths dropped open when they heard her say that. Boreas, too, was looking at her in surprise.

"Even I know when I am beat, Boreas," she said lowly. "And I am also not blind! I do not need people to tell me the facts when I can see them for myself. It is as you say… We are not spoilt for choices in the matter. The Fates were apparently against us today. We must walk the path they have laid out for us, and pray it does not lead us to our destruction."

Still surprised by this turn of events, Boreas nodded his appreciation, and looked once more to the Senate. "In that case then," he concluded. "I will confer with the council and begin preparations for contacting the human leaders."

There were some disgruntled mutterings coming from the crowd, but they all kept their opinions to themselves, knowing that arguing at that point would be pointless.

As the crowd started to disband, Boreas motioned to Sphinx to glide down to him. At the same time, he whispered to Cassy and waved Taurus and Manty over. "I would speak with you three," he said.

Cassy looked over to where her friends, Cyc and Cyan, were standing, together with Brontes and Orin. "If you could grant me a few minutes, Boreas?" she asked. "I would like to talk to my friends first." Although she had already pleaded her case with Cyc and his father, she hadn't been there when they had spoken to Orin, and even then she knew she was still a long way from forgiveness.

Boreas looked at her, and nodded. "Very well, but be quick."

As the rest of them started to confer, they didn't notice another small group sneaking off to the side, quietly whispering amongst themselves.

"_Echidna, how could you?"_ the flame-headed Olympian hissed at the Gorgon woman. _"How could you possibly agree with Boreas to making friends with the humans?" _

Echidna almost snarled at him. _"I did not agree to make friends with them, Helios, I agreed to make contact with them! There is a difference! And I did so because there was no other recourse."_ She sighed in frustration. _"You saw the way the debate was heading. Nothing we could have said or done would have made any difference at that point. The decision was practically already made. The only chance we have now is to ride out the storm and wait to see what the future holds. Make no mistake, this is not the end of this… not by a long shot!" _

With that, she slithered away unnoticed, as Helios and Chiron made their own discreet exit out of the Senate House.

Sphinx meanwhile observed Cassy, as she talked with her friends and Cyc's family. Both Brontes and Orin were giving her 'the look', but she didn't doubt it wouldn't be long before they caved in and made up. Cyclopes were not known to keep grudges, at least for too long, and they had been friends with Cassy for a long time now.

She watched as all the people around them filed out of the Senate House, noting their varied reactions. Many looked angry, some looked lost, others confused, and some just plain scared.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" she said, stating the obvious. "Nothing will ever be the same."

"I believe that is so," Boreas confirmed. "But this day was always inevitable. We pushed it back as long as we could, but it was always destined to happen one way or another."

"I assume you intend to use Cassy as an ambassador to the humans?" she deduced.

Boreas nodded. "She is the most likely choice, being the only human on the island. Who better to contact the humans than one of their own?"

"Will she be strong enough, though?" she then asked. "I mean, like Manty said, she is still quite young. Will she be ready for this?"

"We can but hope."

They stood together, waiting until Cassy was finished talking with her friends. As predicted, they were already laughing and joking amongst themselves, so it seemed more and more likely they were heading for reconciliation.

Deep down, Boreas was secretly concerned. Times were changing, and they could only hope for the best, and pray to the Almighty that Cassy and his people would be ready to face the changes ahead.

While waiting for the young human to return, he and the others turned to start making plans.

**The End! **

_**This chapter marks the long-awaited end of the New Olympus saga! Many thanks to all our faithful readers for waiting, but real life kept getting in the way! Hope this was worth the wait! **_

_**Anyone wishing to continue the saga is welcome to do so!**_


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